Small reactors on old nuclear sites

Posted: 16th February 2022

Rolls-Royce to open talks on leasing UK nuclear sites for mini reactors. Rolls-Royce is preparing to open talks with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority about leasing disused nuclear sites. Rolls-Royce is preparing to open talks with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority about leasing disused nuclear sites as the UK group seeks to move ahead with plans to build a fleet of mini reactors. The NDA holds a large portfolio of land across the UK. While the agency’s focus is on cleaning up areas that previously hosted nuclear reactors, several of its locations in England and Wales are in the running to be home to Britain’s first small modular reactor. Among the likely sites are Dungeness on the south-east coast, Moorside in west Cumbria and land near Wylfa on the island of Anglesey. Trawsfynydd in Wales is another possibility. David Peattie, chief executive of the NDA, recently confirmed that the agency was seeking a mandate from the government to open talks with Rolls-Royce. The NDA is a public body overseen by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Rolls-Royce is also considering buying an existing site. Wylfa in Anglesey, owned by Japan’s Hitachi, which abandoned plans to build a large reactor there two years ago, is understood to be another option. The company is expected to whittle down its preferred sites this year but a final decision will not be made for another 12-18 months. Site selection will be dependent on a number of factors, including the size of the plots, layout, support from local communities and the availability of skills in that area. The UK business department said: “In working with Rolls-Royce, not only can we maximise British content, create new intellectual property and reinvigorate supply chains, but also position our country as a global leader in innovative nuclear technologies we can potentially export elsewhere.”