User:Djm-leighpark/Rolls-Royce SMR

The Rolls-Royce SMR, also known as the UK SMR, is a small modular reactor being developed by the Rolls-Royce company in the United Kingdom.

History
In 2016 it was reported that the UK Government was assessing Welsh SMR sites - including the former Trawsfynydd nuclear power station - and on the site of former nuclear or coal-fired power stations in Northern England. Existing nuclear sites including Bradwell, Hartlepool, Heysham, Oldbury, Sizewell, Sellafield and Wylfa were stated to be possibilities.

It is seeking UK government finance to support further development. In December 2017 The UK government provided funding of up to £56million over three years to support SMR research and development. The consortium developing the design is seeking UK government finance to support further development.

In 2017, the UK government provided funding of up to £56million over three years to support SMR research and development. In 2019 the government committed a further £18million to the development from its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. In November 2021, the UK government provided funding of £210million to further develop the design, partly matched by £195million of investment by Rolls Royce Group, BNF Resources UK Limited and Exelon Generation Limited.{{{Sfn|DBEIS|2021}} They expect the first unit will be completed in the early 2030s.

In 2018 the UK SMR industry sought billions of pounds of government support to finance their putative First of a Kind projects. The Expert Finance Working Group on Small Reactors produced a report stating that there was "a current market failure in supporting nuclear projects generally" and identifying options for government to support SMR development in the UK.

In 2020 it was reported that Rolls-Royce had plans to construct up to 16 SMRs in the UK. In 2019, the company received £18 million to begin designing the modular system. An additional £210 million was awarded to Rolls-Royce by the British government in 2021, complemented by a £195 million contribution from private firms.

Design
Rolls-Royce is preparing a small modular reactor (SMR) design called the UK SMR, a close-coupled four-loop PWR design. Power output is 440MWe which is above the usual range considered to be a SMR.

Rolls-Royce SMR is a close-coupled three-loop PWR design, sometimes called the UK SMR. The power output was originally planned to be 440MWe, later increased to 470MWe, which is above the usual range considered to be a SMR. A modular forced draft cooling tower will be used. The design targets a 500 day construction time, on a 10 acre site. Overall build time is expected to be four years, two years for site preparation and two years for construction and commissioning. The target cost is £1.8billion for the fifth unit built.

The target cost for a 470 MWe Rolls-Royce SMR unit is £1.8 billion for the fifth unit built.