LAND near Sellafield has been prioritised by Rolls Royce as one of four sites across the UK for the development of groundbreaking new small modular nuclear reactors.

Rolls-Royce SMR, supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), has successfully completed a 'siting assessment review' into the potential options for deploying Rolls-Royce SMR power stations.

The company has identified four potential sites including: land near Sellafield,which is one of the two within the control of the NDA, alongside land at Trawsfynydd with two others on NDA land leased to a third party (Wylfa and Oldbury).

Rolls-Royce SMR matched the sites against a set of assessment criteria that will enable stations to be operational by the early 2030s, including: existing geotechnical data, adequate grid connection and a site large enough to deploy multiple SMRs.

Each Rolls-Royce SMR would create enough clean energy to power a million homes for 60 years.

Deploying a fleet of SMR in the UK would create 40,000 jobs across England and Wales.

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Tom Samson, chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce SMR, said: “I am tremendously grateful to David Peattie and the NDA team for their work in helping inform our understanding of the significant opportunity to bring new nuclear power back to nuclear communities across England and Wales.

“Identifying the sites that can host our SMRs is a key step to our efficient deployment – the sooner that work can begin at site, the sooner we can deliver stable, secure supplies of low-carbon nuclear power from SMRs designed and built in the UK.”

David Peattie, chief executive officer of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, said: "This study is a tangible step forward in our mission to safely decommission our sites and free up land for future use, delivering benefit to local communities and so to the wider economy."

Minister of State for Climate, Graham Stuart, said: “This work to identify potential sites for the first generation of small modular reactors is a positive step. These places not only have a strong historical connection with the industry, but also communities with the skills to benefit from the well-paid jobs that could be created."

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