The success of Rolls-Royce in developing a homegrown small modular reactor (SMR) business is delivering long-term employment and vital skills for the UK, with the announcement that Rolls-Royce SMR plans to open a new £12m manufacturing development centre in Derby.
The Pioneer Works facility will develop the build processes, precision assembly and advanced testing needed to de-risk the delivery of its SMR fleet in the UK, Czechia and now Sweden.
The centre will help equip a new generation of industrial specialists with the high-tech skills needed to compete in a growing global industry. It will develop and validate the techniques, technologies and processes required to assemble the highest integrity components that are at the heart of an SMR.
The facility, set open later this year, will operate alongside Rolls-Royce SMR’s existing ‘EXPERI’ facility at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. EXPERI will continue to play a valuable role in developing Rolls-Royce SMR’s unique modular approach to delivering proven nuclear technologies.