The announcement was made on Thursday at Siemens Energy’s historic CA Parsons Works site in Newcastle in the presence of Miatta Fahnbulleh, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. The plant has been a critical part of the UK’s energy infrastructure since 1889 – including building the steam turbine for Calder Hall in West Cumbria, the World’s first commercial nuclear power plant, which began generating in 1956.
Rolls-Royce SMR selected Siemens Energy in February 2025 as its global turbine systems partner for its small modular reactor (SMR). Under the agreement, Siemens Energy is to be the sole supplier of steam turbines, generators, and other auxiliary systems for Rolls-Royce SMR’s planned nuclear power plants. Siemens Energy’s solutions for nuclear power plants include steam turbines and generators with outputs ranging from 20 MW to 1,900 MW, as well as operational control technology and control systems.
Under the latest announcement, Siemens Energy will produce vital components for the Gwyndod project in the UK and for the growing SMR export market.
“This marks the first time these components will be produced for a small modular reactor anywhere in Europe, representing another important milestone in building a UK-led nuclear supply chain,” Rolls-Royce SMR said, adding that the announcement will support more than 550 jobs and create new opportunities in Newcastle.
“I’m proud of today’s announcement which clearly demonstrates how Rolls-Royce SMR is delivering its commitment to localisation, driving investment and reshoring work that would have taken place overseas,” said Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Chris Cholerton. “By working with Siemens Energy in Newcastle, we are building on a remarkable industrial legacy while creating and sustaining the skills and supply chain needed to deliver clean, secure and affordable energy for decades to come.”
Darren Davidson, UK Vice President for Siemens Energy, added: “This is a significant moment for Siemens Energy and our Newcastle facility, for UK manufacturing and for Britain’s nuclear future. Building on a site with a world-class engineering legacy, we’re preparing to manufacture the next generation of steam turbines for small modular reactors, supporting energy security, creating skilled jobs and helping power the UK’s future energy mix.”
“I’m delighted to welcome Siemens to the team delivering the UK’s first SMRs,” said Simon Roddy, CEO of Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N). “Manufacturing these major components in Newcastle for our flagship project in North Wales demonstrates that every corner of the UK has a role to play in this programme. I’m particularly proud that we’re sustaining such a vital strategic capability, strengthening both our industrial base and the UK supply chain.”
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “This is what reindustrialisation looks like – a vital clean energy project reviving our old manufacturing capabilities to provide good, skilled jobs where we need them. The announcement is a real vote of confidence in industrial Britain and shows what SMRs and nuclear projects can deliver for this country.”
The Gwyndod project
The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurised water reactor. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years. Ninety percent of the SMR – measuring about 16 metres by 4 metres – will be built in factory conditions, limiting activity on-site primarily to assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested, modules which significantly reduces project risk and has the potential to shorten build schedules.
In October 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected by ČEZ to deploy up to 3 GW of electricity in the Czech Republic, and ČEZ took a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR. The plan is for the first SMR to be deployed in the area of the Temelín site (which already has two gigawatt-scale VVER-100 units), with further projects being developed for coal-fired power plant sites, including Tušimice. Rolls-Royce SMR has signed an early works agreement with ČEZ to progress licensing, permitting and site-specific design for deployment.
In June 2025, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the UK government’s preferred technology for the country’s first SMR project. A final investment decision is expected to be taken in 2029. In November, the UK government announced that Wylfa on the island of Anglesey, North Wales, would be the site to host the three Rolls-Royce SMR units. It said the site – where a Magnox plant is being decommissioned – could potentially host up to eight SMRs. In April, Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract with GBE-N to begin site-specific design and delivery activities for the UK’s first SMRs at Wylfa.
In May this year, GBE-N launched a contest to find a name for the SMR plant to be built at the Wylfa site. The company subsequently announced that, after hundreds of suggestions were submitted by locals, a panel of young people from Anglesey has decided the plant will be called Gwyndod Power Station.
