Rolls-Royce has welcomed a new agreement between the UK and US governments to deepen cooperation in advanced nuclear technologies, describing it as a pivotal step in strengthening energy security and resilience across both nations.
The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy is designed to speed up the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies by streamlining regulation and enabling closer collaboration between the two countries, which together represent the world’s first and largest civil nuclear markets.
The global market for advanced nuclear technologies is estimated to be worth trillions by 2050, with demand in the US alone projected to quadruple from 100GWe to 400GWe over the same period. Rolls-Royce said the sector presents significant opportunities to deliver skilled jobs, attract investment, and support long-term economic growth in both countries.
Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce, said nuclear power would play a “critical role” in ensuring energy security: “Rolls-Royce has unique capabilities in nuclear as the only company globally with full lifecycle experience, end-to-end capability and an established supply chain. We particularly welcome the UK Government’s commitment to speed up deployment through accelerated licensing and planning reforms.”
Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd, the company’s small modular reactor business, was named in June as the UK’s preferred bidder to build the nation’s first commercial SMRs, with a goal of delivering power to the grid by the mid-2030s. The company expects its initial three SMRs to support almost 8,000 skilled jobs per year in the UK and contribute £54bn to the economy over the lifetime of the programme.
The company also confirmed it has entered the US regulatory process for its SMR design, a move it described as a critical step toward unlocking additional jobs and investment opportunities in North America. Rolls-Royce has an existing teaming agreement with US firm BWXT and is collaborating on Project Pele, which is developing an advanced modular reactor for the US Department of Defense.
Internationally, Rolls-Royce SMR has been gaining traction. In October 2024, it was selected by Czech utility CEZ to deploy up to 3GW of capacity in the Czech Republic, and in Sweden the company has been shortlisted by Vattenfall as one of two potential SMR suppliers.
UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband said closer UK–US collaboration would accelerate deployment and deliver long-term benefits: “By working with the US, we will reap the benefits of this golden age of nuclear, powering British homes with clean, homegrown energy, delivering well-paid skilled jobs and getting energy bills down for good.”
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