Rolls-Royce SMR Overview
What is SMR? SMRs, or Small Modular Reactors, are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 470 MW(e) per unit, which is about a third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
A single Rolls-Royce SMR unit can power approximately one million homes.
Rolls-Royce SMR’s small modular reactor (SMR) programme is the first of its kind in the UK.
A Rolls-Royce SMR power station will have the capacity to generate 470mw of low-carbon energy, equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years, helping achieve the Government’s target of 24GW of nuclear energy by 2050. In addition to stable base load power, Rolls-Royce SMRs will be able to provide energy for the manufacture of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels, to support the path to Net Zero and the decarbonisation of transport. Out technology is based upon well-established Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) technology, in use all over the world, but Rolls-Royce SMR’s unique approach will see the reactor components built in factory conditions and assembled on site. Our factory-built model is entirely scalable, as demand increases, we invest in further factories using the same design and management systems used for all our SMRs. When fully operational the Rolls-Royce SMR programme is forecast to create 40,000 regional UK jobs by 2050 and generate £52bn in economic benefit. Having begun the design assessment process with the UK regulators, the organisation is at a point where it needs to significantly increase its workforce, offering candidates the opportunity to work with cutting edge technology within a world-class team.
Small – physically a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor. Modular – making it possible for systems and components to be factory- assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation.
Reactors – harnessing nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy.
Given their smaller footprint, SMRs can be sited on locations not suitable for larger nuclear power plants. Prefabricated units of SMRs can be manufactured and then shipped and installed on site, making them more affordable to build than large power reactors, which are often custom designed for a particular location, sometimes leading to construction delays. SMRs offer savings in cost and construction time, and they can be deployed incrementally to match increasing energy demand.
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