The news follows an announcement in February that the U.K. would “slash red tape” to get more nuclear power plants approved in England and Wales. The U.K. government pledged over £2.5 billion (about $3.4 billion) for the entire SMR program in its recent spending review period and believes the project could support up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction.
Timeline: In July 2023 the UK launched both the SMR competition and Great British Nuclear—an “arms-length” governmental body established to help ramp up the nation’s nuclear capacity to 24 GW by 2050. Great British Nuclear was tasked with managing the competition and has since been renamed Great British Energy–Nuclear (GBE-N). GBE-N is allied with a separate publicly owned company formed in 2024, Great British Energy.
The first down-select took place less than three months later, and the government announced in October 2023 that it had selected six companies to advance in the competition: EDF, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Holtec, NuScale Power, Rolls-Royce SMR, and Westinghouse.
In September 2024, following the initial tender phase of the technology selection process, four companies remained: GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Holtec, Rolls Royce SMR, and Westinghouse. Westinghouse withdrew from the competition in April 2025.
“A golden age of nuclear”: The U.K. is “ending the no-nuclear status quo as part of our plan for change and are entering a golden age of nuclear with the biggest building program in a generation,” said Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. “GBE-N has run a rigorous competition and will now work with the preferred bidder Rolls-Royce SMR to build the country’s first ever small modular reactors—creating thousands of jobs and growing our regional economies while strengthening our energy security.”
“Nuclear is the cornerstone of the U.K.’s energy strategy, and today’s announcement will accelerate deployment,” said Gwen Parry-Jones, CEO of GBE-N. “Together with Rolls-Royce SMR, our selected preferred bidder, and subject to government approvals and contract signature, we will deliver a program that is technically world-class and delivers real value to the British people—through energy security, economic opportunity, and environmental leadership.”
And the winner says: Rolls-Royce SMR welcomed the announcement in a press release. Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Chris Cholerton said, “As well as delivering affordable, clean energy to support our nation’s energy independence—deploying three of our units will drive domestic growth by creating thousands of highly skilled, well-paid jobs and supply chain opportunities. We are the only SMR company with multiple commitments to build projects in Europe, testament to our differentiated design and compelling offer.”
In a separate press release, parent company Rolls-Royce said the design—a 1,358 MWt pressurized water reactor capable of generating about 450 MWe—is “18 months ahead of its competition in the U.K.’s independent industry regulatory assessment process.” Rolls-Royce expects to build three SMR units in the U.K. in collaboration with GBE-N and notes a “commitment” for deployment in the Czech Republic as well.
Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic said, “This is a very significant milestone for our business and Rolls-Royce SMR. It is a vote of confidence in our unique nuclear capabilities, which will be recognized by governments around the world.”
.jpg)
