Back Rolls-Royce on nuclear, says ex-boss Sir John Rose

Sir John Rose, the former chief executive of Rolls-Royce, is calling on the Government to back British nuclear technology developed by the engineering giant.

Rolls is spearheading a project to design a fleet of mini power plants – known as SMRs or small modular reactors – which have become a key part of the UK’s long-term energy strategy. 

Ministers have already put more than £200 million of public money into the project.

But, rather than backing Rolls, the Government has launched a competition to select a provider, which will pit the FTSE 100 flagship against foreign rivals.

Sir John, who led the company from 1996 to 2011, has described the move as ‘depressing’.

He warned that by not throwing its support behind Rolls-Royce, Ministers risked killing off a potentially valuable stream of export income and missing out on highly skilled jobs. 

Rolls has previously said that if it won the contract, it could create 40,000 UK jobs by 2050 and boost the economy by £52 billion.

A deal would also benefit suppliers and potentially turn the country into a global hub for nuclear technology.

Rose described the competition as ‘a good example’ of Government failure to provide the support British business needs. ‘The probability of achieving export success is vanishingly small if the producer is not supported by its Government,’ he said.

‘Instead of a competition, why don’t we place an order for ten of Rolls-Royce’s small modular reactors subject to the design achieving regulatory approval?’ he asked.

Rose said the decision to have a contest ‘seems odd in circumstances where there is relatively little difference technically between the offerings’. Competitors are thought to include TerraPower, a nuclear startup backed by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, and another US company called NuScale.

Rose added that any risk the Rolls-Royce SMR might not be ‘best in class’ would be outweighed by other benefits to Britain such as high-value skilled jobs and ‘the establishment of a supply chain that can serve the global industry and increase energy security’.

Countries including the Czech Republic and Poland have already expressed interest in ordering the small reactors. The project has also received investment from France, the US and Qatar.

Sir John’s intervention comes soon after Ministers launched a new Government body called Great British Nuclear.

Small modular reactors are being seen as key to cutting Britain’s carbon output as they are quicker and cheaper to build than conventional sites.

Rolls’ SMR design is based on the nuclear reactors it provides for British submarines. The plants would each cost about £1.8 billion and each would provide energy for 45,000 homes.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: ‘We’ve launched a fair and transparent competition that will provide a range of companies the opportunity to help us develop the best SMR technologies in the world.’