It was Boris Johnson who led the charge and finally it’s paying off, Britain is going nuclear — and Rolls-Royce is in the driving seat.
In a huge boost for British industry and energy security, Rolls-Royce has beaten global rivals to win a landmark government contract to design and build the country’s first-ever small modular reactors — mini nuclear power plants set to power millions of homes and turbocharge the UK’s green revolution.
The Derby-based engineering titan was yesterday crowned the sole winner of the Great British Nuclear (GBN) competition, leaving competitors GE-Hitachi and Holtec International in its dust after a gruelling two-year selection process.
Now, in a multi-billion-pound deal, the firm will begin work on three state-of-the-art SMRs, with construction kicking off in the early 2030s — and £2.5 billion of Government funding already pledged through 2029.
Britain’s Nuclear Renaissance
The decision marks a triumphant return to the nuclear stage for Britain, as ministers throw their weight behind homegrown technology to combat the energy crisis, reduce carbon emissions, and create thousands of skilled jobs across the country.
Rolls-Royce’s mini-reactors, each no larger than a football pitch, could transform the way we power our homes — with global export potential expected to rake in billions.
Tufan Erginbilgic, Rolls-Royce CEO, hailed the news as a “very significant milestone” for the company, calling it a “vote of confidence” in the firm’s unique nuclear expertise.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “The strategic bets we’ve made are paying off — and Rolls-Royce SMR will be a major player on the world stage.”
The GBN victory is not just a win at home — it cements Rolls-Royce’s pole position in the global nuclear race. The SMR business is already 18 months ahead of its rivals in regulatory approvals and is in talks with countries like the Czech Republic to export the pioneering technology.
Former PM Boris Johnson, passionate about harnessing the power of nuclear energy kicked off the nuclear race in 2022 saying: “Nuclear power is a key part of the UK’s energy mix, helping to reduce dependence on global gas markets, boosting UK energy independence, protecting consumers from high energy bills and stimulating investment in nuclear as a clean energy technology of the future.”
At a speech he made as Sizewell in 2022, Mr Johnson famously said “I say go nuclear and go large.”
Jobs, Growth, and a Cleaner Future
The Government’s backing is expected to unlock a tidal wave of investment, strengthening Britain’s supply chains, fuelling local economies and putting the UK at the forefront of the green energy revolution.
The International Energy Agency predicts global electricity demand will double by 2050, and with nations scrambling to ditch fossil fuels, nuclear power is back in vogue — and Rolls-Royce is now perfectly placed to cash in.
The announcement also signals the transformation of Rolls-Royce from a struggling legacy manufacturer to a resilient, high-performance powerhouse ready to lead Britain — and the world — into a cleaner, safer energy future.
For more on this groundbreaking project, visit rolls-royce-smr.com
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