Nuclear News – Early June 2025
Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Rolls-Royce has won a competition to be the first company to try to build small modular nuclear reactors in the UK, as part of a government effort to push Britain to the frontier of nuclear energy technology.
The UK’s Great British Energy on 10 June announced Rolls-Royce as the preferred bidder for the programme, after a drawn-out competition that pitted the FTSE 100 manufacturer against two US-owned companies.
The announcement came as part of a broader push for nuclear power by the government, as it promised to invest £14.2bn to build the large Sizewell C power station in Suffolk.
Nuclear energy firm Holtec Britain, a specialist in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), has selected GatewayEast – next to Doncaster-Sheffield Airport – as the preferred location for its planned new UK factory.
The company is entering detailed negotiations with the developer, Peel Land. Its decision has been welcomed by Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, Labour MP Lee Pitcher, and industry leaders.
Holtec’s decision comes weeks after Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, confirmed £30m to fund the reopening of the airport. Since it closed in 2022, local politicians and businesses have campaigned to reopen it.
Ten thousand jobs will be created as the government announces a £14.2 billion investment to build Sizewell C nuclear plant as part of the Spending Review, ending years of delay and uncertainty.
The Chancellor is set to confirm the funding at the GMB Congress later today ahead of the government’s Spending Review, as the Energy Secretary vows a ‘golden age’ of nuclear to boost the UK’s energy security. The government’s investment will go towards creating 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships, and support thousands more jobs across the UK.
