Rolls-Royce SMR has moved a step further in its ambitions to build the UK’s first small modular reactors after bringing more than 400 suppliers together in North Wales for a major supply chain event linked to the Gwyndd project.
The two-day Delivering Together conference, hosted with Great British Energy – Nuclear at Coleg Menai’s Llangefni Campus on Ynys Môn, was designed to introduce businesses to the procurement requirements, technical standards and commercial opportu...
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nities associated with the proposed nuclear development. According to Rolls-Royce SMR, the gathering attracted suppliers from North Wales, across the UK and from overseas, underlining the scale of interest in the programme.
The company said the event was intended not simply to brief firms, but to start building the industrial base that would be needed to support construction and long-term operation of the reactors. Small and medium-sized enterprises were given guidance on how to access contracts within the wider supply chain, while meet-the-buyer sessions allowed businesses to speak directly with project delivery teams.
Rolls-Royce SMR and Great British Energy – Nuclear are targeting 70% UK-sourced content for the Gwyndd project, a goal that would create work for domestic manufacturers, engineering groups and specialist service providers. The company has argued that its factory-built design approach could provide greater certainty on delivery and reduce the risks often associated with large-scale nuclear construction.
Chris Cholerton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR, said the project represented an opportunity to change how nuclear power is delivered in the UK. He said the company’s repeatable, factory-built model would help to cut uncertainty while creating what he described as a national industrial capability, with export prospects beginning with contracts already secured in Czechia and Sweden.
The supply chain event comes after a series of recent milestones for the project. In April, Rolls-Royce SMR and Great British Energy – Nuclear signed an agreement enabling immediate work on three SMRs at Wylfa, on the coast of Ynys Môn. That contract allowed the company to begin site-specific design work and place orders for key components.
The following months brought further signs of momentum. In September, Rolls-Royce SMR announced that key steam turbine components for the first three reactors would be manufactured at Siemens Energy’s Newcastle site, which it said would be the first time such parts had been made for a small modular reactor in Europe. The company also said that site would become a service hub for the fleet.
Skills development is being positioned as a central part of the project. Rolls-Royce SMR said the construction phase is expected to support more than 300 apprenticeships, with a strong emphasis on local recruitment. On 23 October, just before the supply chain conference concluded, the company announced its first cohort of apprentices based on Ynys Môn. Ten local apprentices joined its safety and regulatory affairs team and will train with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
The wider plan reflects the UK’s push to expand nuclear power through smaller reactor technology while building domestic capability and long-term employment opportunities. Rolls-Royce SMR and Great British Energy – Nuclear say they want to establish a UK supply chain capable of supporting both construction and operation of the proposed reactors, with the Welsh project now being used as the test case for that ambition.
Source: Noah Wire Services
