Siemens Energy to Produce Rolls-Royce SMR Components in the UK

Siemens Energy has announced it will produce vital components for Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at its CA Parsons Works site in Newcastle, United Kingdom. This agreement designates Siemens Energy as the sole supplier of steam turbines, generators, and other auxiliary systems for Rolls-Royce SMR's planned nuclear power plants. The components will support the Gwyndod project in the United Kingdom and the growing SMR export market.

This marks the first time these specific components for a small modular reactor will be manufactured in Europe. The initiative is expected to support over 550 jobs and create new opportunities in Newcastle, contributing to the development of a UK-led nuclear supply chain. Siemens Energy's solutions for nuclear power plants encompass steam turbines and generators with outputs ranging from 20 MW to 1,900 MW, alongside operational control technology and control systems.

Rolls-Royce SMR selected Siemens Energy as its global turbine systems partner in February 2025. The Rolls-Royce SMR design is a 470 MWe pressurized water reactor, intended to provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years. Ninety percent of the SMR, which measures approximately 16 meters by 4 meters, will be constructed in factory conditions. This approach aims to reduce project risk and shorten build schedules by limiting on-site activity primarily to the assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested modules.

In October 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR was chosen by ČEZ for the deployment of up to 3 GW of electricity in the Czech Republic, with ČEZ acquiring a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR. An early works agreement has been signed to advance licensing, permitting, and site-specific design for deployment, with the first SMR planned for the Temelín site. Additionally, projects are being developed for coal-fired power plant sites, including Tušimice.

In June 2025, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the preferred technology by the UK government for the country's first SMR project. A final investment decision is anticipated in 2029. In November, the UK government announced Wylfa on the island of Anglesey, North Wales, as the site to host the initial three Rolls-Royce SMR units. This site, where a Magnox plant is currently being decommissioned, has the potential to host up to eight SMRs. Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract with Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) in April to commence site-specific design and delivery activities for the UK's first SMRs at Wylfa. The plant at the Wylfa site will be named Gwyndod Power Station, a name chosen by a panel of young people from Anglesey following a local naming contest.

NRC Proposes Rule for Decommissioning Timelines and Groundwater Protection

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed a new rule, titled “In Situ Recovery Monitoring and Decommissioning Timeliness,” which was published online on September 1. This rule addresses two distinct aspects of the agency's oversight responsibilities.

The first part of the proposed rule focuses on establishing risk-informed criteria for safeguarding drinking water. These criteria are designed to protect against both radiological and nonradiological contamination in areas surrounding uranium in situ recovery (ISR) sites. This initiative aims to enhance environmental protection measures associated with uranium extraction operations.

The second component of the rule seeks to streamline the existing process for extending decommissioning timelines. This proposed change would apply to all licensees, potentially simplifying the administrative procedures involved in managing the end-of-life phases of nuclear facilities. The NRC's proposal aims to create a more efficient and adaptable framework for decommissioning activities across the industry.

US Department of Energy Initiative Advances Reactor and Fuel Cycle Projects

The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, an initiative of the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) under the US Department of Energy, announced the selection of 12 recipients on August 24. This program, established earlier this year, aims to expedite the development and implementation of advanced nuclear technologies by private companies. It expands upon the Reactor Pilot Program and the Fuel Line Pilot Program, launched in June and August 2025, respectively, to accelerate advanced nuclear technology deployment through flexible technical and regulatory frameworks on both federal and non-federal lands.

The selected projects encompass reactor development and nuclear fuel cycle advancements, including fabrication, enrichment, and conversion technologies. Eight companies—Atlas Atomics, Forge Atomics, Hexium, Lightbridge, Nusano, Raven-Flint Nuclear, Scaled Atomics, and Sublime Atomics—are new to the Launch Pad program. Four other reactor developers—Antares Nuclear, Deployable Energy, Oklo, and Valar Atomics—had previously received support under the initiative and the Reactor Pilot Program, with their projects achieving zero-power fueled criticality earlier this summer.

Reactor Development Highlights

Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 reactor, a sodium heat pipe-cooled, TRISO-fueled microreactor, achieved zero-power fueled criticality at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in June, meeting a July 4 deadline. The company is now developing an electricity-producing prototype and has been chosen by the US Air Force to supply microreactors to Joint Base San Antonio. Deployable Energy's Unity reactor, the first selection under the Launch Pad initiative in April, reached criticality in early July. The company has been selected for two upcoming demonstrations: a full-power demonstration at INL and a maritime demonstration with Hornbeck Offshore. Valar Atomics' 100-kWt Ward 250 helium-cooled, TRISO-fueled, high-temperature gas reactor also reached zero-power criticality in June and is proceeding with power ascension. Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor achieved zero-power fueled criticality in August.

Other reactor developers receiving Launch Pad support include Atlas Atomics, which is developing advanced heavy-water reactor technology for baseload power, isotope production, and spent nuclear fuel recycling. Forge Atomics is developing a factory-built, 25-MWe pressurized water reactor using low-enriched uranium dioxide fuel. Scaled Atomics, formerly Avant Tech, is an Oak Ridge-based microreactor developer.

Fuel Cycle Advancements

Lightbridge, a Virginia-based advanced nuclear fuel technology company, stated that its selection provides an accelerated path for US Department of Energy authorization to design, build, and operate a dedicated facility at INL. This facility will manufacture Lead Test Assemblies of its proprietary metallic nuclear fuel for testing in US commercial power reactors, aiming to significantly shorten the timeline. Lightbridge is collaborating with an engineering, procurement, and construction firm for the Special High-assay low-enriched uranium Extrusion Demonstration facility, with construction planned to begin next year.

Raven-Flint Nuclear Corporation announced its selection under the Launch Pad, coinciding with the first successful production of uranium hexafluoride using a proprietary conversion process designed to eliminate elemental fluorine gas. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has also docketed its license application for engineering-scale uranium operations at its radiochemistry laboratory. The company plans to construct Torch, a pilot conversion facility at the INL site, capable of converting 500 tonnes of uranium per year into uranium hexafluoride for the US Department of Energy and affiliated entities, and for domestic defense needs.