The recent agreement between the UK and US governments to deepen cooperation in advanced nuclear technologies marks a significant milestone in transatlantic energy strategy. The formation of the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, creating a direct link between the world’s first and largest civil nuclear power markets.
This collaboration comes at a time when the global market for advanced nuclear technologies is projected to be worth trillions by 2050. The demand for secure, scalable and reliable power is surging across civil, defence, industrial and maritime sectors, driven by the rapid growth of digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence. In the USA alone, nuclear power demand is forecast to quadruple from 100GWe to 400GWe by mid-century.
Rolls-Royce is positioning itself at the forefront of this opportunity, leveraging its full lifecycle nuclear expertise and established supply chain to deliver innovation, investment and skilled employment. Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce, said: “We welcome the commitment of the US and UK governments to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies and secure an independent supply of advanced nuclear fuel. Nuclear will play a critical role in the energy resilience and security of both nations. Rolls-Royce has unique capabilities in nuclear as the only company globally with full lifecycle experience, end-to-end capability and an established supply-chain.”
Preferred bidderRolls-Royce SMR Ltd, the company’s small modular reactor division, was selected in June as the preferred bidder to develop the UK’s first commercial SMR. The company is now entering the US regulatory process, a move that could unlock further investment and job creation across both sides of the Atlantic. Mr Erginbilgic added: “As the preferred bidder to develop the UK’s first Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) we particularly welcome the commitment of the UK Government and
Great British Energy – Nuclear to speed up deployment, through an accelerated licencing process alongside vital planning reforms, to get nuclear project sites in the UK approved more quickly. Delivering our three SMRs will enable us to support an average of almost 8,000 highly skilled UK jobs per year and accelerate the delivery of power to the grid, reducing energy bills, to the mid-2030s.”
Ed Miliband, the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, echoed the strategic importance of the partnership: “The nuclear opportunities Rolls-Royce is exploring in the US represent the potential for exceptional job creation and economic growth in the UK, after Rolls-Royce was selected by Great British Energy – Nuclear earlier this year as a preferred bidder to build the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors. By working with the USA, we will reap the benefits of this golden age of nuclear, powering British homes with clean, homegrown energy, delivering well-paid skilled jobs and getting energy bills down for good.”
Rolls-Royce’s longstanding collaboration with US firm
BWXT is also set to deepen, building on their existing nuclear Teaming Agreement and joint work on Project Pele, which focuses on developing an Advanced Modular Reactor for the US market.
International interest in Rolls-Royce SMRs continues to grow, with the company selected by
CEZ in October 2024 to deploy up to 3GW of electricity in the Czech Republic. In Sweden, Rolls-Royce has been shortlisted by
Vattenfall as one of two potential SMR providers.
With a fleet of SMRs expected to contribute £54 billion to the British economy and open new export markets, Rolls-Royce is firmly establishing itself as a central player in the future of global nuclear energy.