Global power systems firm Rolls-Royce and EDF Energy plan to work together with the goal of building four new nuclear power plants in the UK, with the first set to begin operations in just over seven years.

“With the largest proven nuclear supply chain of any UK company, Rolls-Royce is uniquely placed to deliver world-class engineering and manufacturing capability to support the delivery of nuclear power programmes both here and around the world,” said Lawrie Haynes, president of Rolls-Royce Nuclear.

This past July, Rolls-Royce announced plans to build a new factory to manufacture assemble and test systems and components for nuclear power stations. The facility will have strong links with the UK government-funded Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in which Rolls- Royce will be the lead industrial partner.

“As a country we face a significant energy challenge to keep the lights on, tackle climate change and maintain affordable prices,” said Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, managing director of EDF Energy’s Nuclear New Build business. “We believe the challenge can be met through greater energy efficiency and the generation of electricity from a diverse range of sources including nuclear and renewables. With the recent combination with British Energy, we are the largest
generator of low-carbon electricity in Britain.”

Cadoux-Hudson continued, “We plan to build four new European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) nuclear reactors in the UK at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. Subject to the right investment framework being in place we intend to develop 4 EPRs in the UK by 2025 with the first operational by the end of 2017.”

The civil nuclear market is currently worth around £30 billion a year globally and is expected to grow to £50 billion a year in 15 years’ time, more than 70 per cent of which will relate to the build and support of new facilities. It’s estimated that the nuclear programme in the UK will sustain 10,000 to 15,000 jobs over 25 years, of which 45 per cent will be engineers.

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