By ALEX BRUMMER

Updated: 21:50 GMT, 1 March 2025

Britain risks losing its leadership in the nuclear race to manufacture small modular reactors (SMRs) unless the Starmer government speeds up its decision-making, the boss of Rolls-Royce has warned.

Tufan Erginbilgic, who has seen a rapid rise in the engineer and aircraft engine maker’s share price since joining, said: ‘There’s no other private company in the world that has the capabilities of Rolls-Royce, therefore we should be the leader in micro reactors. Britain’s process needs to deliver without delay now.’

Britain’s Energy Department, led by Ed Miliband, has insisted on an open auction for next generation micro nuclear reactors, backed by nuclear power licensing authorities. But long delays are conceding the lead to rivals such as Hitachi-GE and Canada’s Westinghouse.

Demand for SMRs is set to soar as Silicon Valley embraces the idea to keep energy-hungry data centres needed for processing the artificial intelligence revolution running.

Fired up: Tufan Erginbilgic has turned around the engine-maker in just two years

Rolls-Royce has been pioneering SMRs for more than a decade using the same nuclear-powered turbines deployed in submarines.

The Government has contributed £210 million to this. But Erginbilgic said: ‘Britain must speed up if the supply chain capacity and export opportunity isn’t to go elsewhere.’

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Rolls-Royce boss: UK risks losing nuclear reactor race



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