UK nuclear firms win domestic and overseas contracts

Rolls-Royce signed trilateral memorandums of cooperation with the U.K. National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) on high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) designs and next-generation fuel. The agreements were formalised during the Japanese prime minister’s visit to the United Kingdom.

The agreements cover technical work on HTGR systems, fuel manufacturing and steps to support deployment for civil, defence and industrial uses. Rolls-Royce will apply its end-to-end nuclear engineering capability; UKNNL will provide access through the U.K. government’s Advanced Nuclear Framework; JAEA will contribute its experience with high-temperature gas reactor technology.

Separately, Rolls-Royce was selected by Videberg Kraft, a partnership that includes state-owned utility Vattenfall AB, to supply three small modular reactors (SMRs) for a site on Sweden’s west coast. The project is Sweden’s first planned new nuclear power plant in over four decades and is intended to support national energy security and industrial electricity demand.

Rolls-Royce’s selection follows earlier contracts for SMRs in the U.K. and an agreement with CEZ Group for initial SMRs in the Czech Republic. The company has won every competitively tendered SMR selection it has entered in Europe and holds multiple contractual commitments on the continent.

Jacobs was appointed by Great British Energy – Nuclear to deliver environmental baseline assessments at the Oldbury site in South Gloucestershire. The work includes ecological and habitat surveys, impact assessments, regulatory support and site surveys. Jacobs will work with AtkinsRéalis and AECOM as subconsultants and will build on earlier site characterisation to provide environmental data for decisions about potential new generation at Oldbury.

Public companies that provide reactor design, fuel cycle expertise, engineering services and site development are receiving contracts tied to these programmes. The VettaFi Nuclear Renaissance Index (NUKZX) includes Rolls-Royce and covers exposure to engineering and service providers such as Jacobs. NUKZX is the underlying index for the Range Nuclear Renaissance Index ETF (NUKZ); VettaFi LLC is the index provider and receives an index licensing fee.

The U.K. government has been advancing policies to enable advanced nuclear deployment. Firms involved in the recent agreements identify supply chain roles across site readiness, technology qualification and fuel logistics as part of their planned activities.