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BBC News science team
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Rolls Royce has been selected to develop and build the UK’s first small nuclear power stations.
It is hoped small modular reactors (SMRs) will help meet the UK’s growing electricity demands, be faster to develop than full size reactors and create thousands of skilled jobs.
Alongside £2.5bn for these SMRs, the government has also announced £14.2bn to build a new larger scale reactor, Sizewell C in Suffolk.
What is a small modular reactor?
SMRs, sometimes called “mini nukes”, work on the same principle as large reactors, using a nuclear reaction to generate heat that produces electricity.
Inside one or more large reactor vessels, atoms of nuclear fuel are split, releasing a large amount of heat. That is used to heat water, which drives a turbine. Essentially, reactors are giant nuclear kettles.
SMRs will be a fraction of the size and have up to a third of the generating output of a typical large reactor.
The modular element means they will be built to order in factories – as a kit of parts – then transported and fitted together, like a flat-packed power station.
The aim is to save time and money
Why does the UK want ‘mini nukes’?
The government wants a secure, reliable, affordable and low carbon energy system.
In 2024, nuclear accounted for 14% of the UK’s electricity generation, according to provisional government figures. The aim is to boost that.
Along with 30 other countries, the UK
