Two North East sites have secured a spot on the final shortlist of locations to host Rolls-Royce’s first factory manufacturing parts for its fleet of clean energy power stations.  

The heavy pressure vessels factory will produce and assemble some of the largest and most complex components of the Rolls-Royce for its small modular reactor (SMR) power station.

The Northern Echo:

The facility – representing a £100million to £200million investment – will be around the size of three football pitches and create more than 200 long-term, highly skilled roles. It will have the capacity to generate enough low-carbon energy to power one million homes.

Teesworks, the site of the former Redcar Steelworks and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) in Sunderland and South Tyneside, are up against Gateway, Deeside.

The Northern Echo:

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "It’s great news that Teesworks is in the final running to become home to Rolls-Royce’s SMR factory. The site is fast becoming the place to do business in innovative net zero projects and this facility – helping to drive forward clean energy power plants – would be a fantastic fit.

“As major low-carbon projects in offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage continue to take shape at Teesworks, we’re at the cutting edge of the sector. This means we’re inevitably seeing further interest and opportunity from investors keen to base themselves here and create more good-quality, well-paid jobs.

“Whatever the outcome, this goes to show big businesses and household names have their eyes on Teesside like never before.” 

Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive, Tom Samson, said: “I want to thank everyone involved in the selection process and offer my congratulations to the three that have made the final shortlist.

“This is part of the process to build the first of at least three factories that will manufacture components for a fleet of small modular reactors and will present an incredible opportunity for a region of the UK. Our power stations will be built in British factories situated in the north of England or Wales and will generate tens of thousands of long-term highly skilled jobs - accelerating regional economic growth.”

A decision on the location will be made early next year after final evaluations and detailed assessments are made against the requirements and criteria for the factory.

A fleet of Rolls-Royce SMR power stations will increase the UK’s energy security and support net zero targets by generating low-carbon electricity from a sustainable source for generations to come.

As the only SMR in Europe currently in the regulatory process, there is also an enormous opportunity to export this British technology around the globe.