SMRs
The launch of GBN saw the opening of registration for companies to participate in a competition to secure funding support to develop their products. This is mainly focused around developing small modular reactors (SMRs) in the UK. As the government explains: “Unlike conventional reactors that are built on site, SMRs are smaller, can be made in factories and could transform how power stations are built by making construction faster, and less expensive.”
Rolls-Royce is the most advanced in developing SMRs as the leader of the UK SMR consortium, which features Atkins, Bam Nuttall, Jacobs, Laing O’Rourke, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, TWI and Assystem.
Its design for a 470MW SMR passed the first assessment hurdle in April this year. It has now moved on to Step 2 of the generic design assessment process, which is expected to take 16 months.
Rolls-Royce is acting quickly though, having released a shortlist of three poten
