Rolls-Royce SMR partners with University of Sheffield in new manufacturing and testing facility

Rolls-Royce SMR is partnering with the University of Sheffield to launch a major new manufacturing and testing facility in South Yorkshire.

• he University of Sheffield and Rolls-Royce SMR are setting up a multi-million pound manufacturing and testing facility in South Yorkshire
• Based in the University of Sheffield AMRC’s Factory 2050, the new facility will produce prototype modules for small modular reactors (SMRs)
• New facility will help de-risk and underpin the Rolls-Royce SMR programme that aims to deploy a fleet of factory-built nuclear power plants in the UK and across the world
• SMRs are seen as a clean energy source that are easier to scale and more affordable than building larger nuclear power plants. Each Rolls-Royce SMR could provide enough low-carbon electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years

Rolls-Royce SMR is partnering with the University of Sheffield to launch a major new manufacturing and testing facility in South Yorkshire.

The Rolls-Royce SMR Module Development Facility (MDF), which will be housed in the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre’s existing Factory 2050, is set to manufacture and test prototype modules for small modular reactors (SMRs)

The first phase, announced today, is worth £2.7 million and will be part of a wider £15+ million package of work that will further de-risk and underpin the Rolls-Royce SMR programme.

SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that are designed to be factory-built and transported to operational sites for installation. The technology is seen as a clean energy solution that is easier to deliver, scale and is more affordable than building new larger nuclear power stations. Each Rolls-Royce SMR could provide enough low-carbon electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years.

The new facility at the University of Sheffield AMRC will produce working prototypes of individual modules that will be assembled into Rolls-Royce SMR power plants.

The Rolls-Royce SMR programme is UK’s first home-grown nuclear technology for over a generation and today’s announcement is another vital step towards deploying a fleet of factory-built nuclear power plants in the UK and around the globe.

Victoria Scott, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Chief Manufacturing Engineer, said: “Our investment in setting up this facility and building prototype modules is another significant milestone for our business.

“Our factories will produce hundreds of prefabricated and pre-tested modules ready for assembly on site. This facility will allow us to refine our production, testing and digital approach to manufacturing - helping de-risk our programme and ensure we increase our delivery certainty.”

The University of Sheffield is one of the UK’s leading universities for clean energy research and innovation. Its AMRC, on the border of Sheffield and Rotherham, is a world leader in manufacturing R&D and works with companies of all sizes — including SMEs, start-ups and large-scale manufacturers — to help them improve their productivity.

The AMRC’s Factory 2050 is the UK’s first state-of-the-art factory with reconfigurable spaces to enable collaborative research into digital manufacturing, machining technologies and component manufacture.

Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “We are very proud that Rolls-Royce SMR has chosen to base its module development facility at our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre’s Factory 2050.

“Today’s announcement is a testament to the University’s strengths in clean energy research and innovation, and our unrivalled expertise in developing leading-edge manufacturing techniques. We welcome this significant commitment from Rolls-Royce SMR to our ongoing partnership and the South Yorkshire region.”

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “This announcement cements South Yorkshire’s position as the leading place to build small modular reactors, a cutting-edge technology which will be a key part of the global transition to clean energy. It is also a sign of real confidence in our region’s world-leading advanced manufacturing innovation district which is helping us to create a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire.

“South Yorkshire is proud to be the home of the largest Clean Tech cluster in the UK, with specialisms in nuclear tech, hydrogen and aviation fuels. Being chosen as the home of the new Rolls-Royce SMR Module Development Facility further enhances our region’s reputation as the best place for Clean Tech in the UK and puts us at the forefront of creating a greener future for the UK and beyond.”

Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economy, Skills and Development Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: "As a city filled with innovators we’re committed to driving prosperity, this latest announcement from the University of Sheffield is yet another example of our forward-thinking approach. The new multi-million pound investment brings with it new jobs as well as advances in technology which could power millions homes for decades to come.”