Two more sites have been added to the shortlisted locations for Rolls-Royce's forthcoming £200m nuclear reactor factories.
The Teesworks freeport site at Redcar and Shotton on Deeside join eight other potential locations across the UK which could host the firm's first factory that will make components for its small modular reactor (SMR) power station. It means Rolls-Royce representatives will visit both sites in the coming weeks to decide which will host the 200 jobs, 23,000 sqm plant.
Previously shortlisted sites in the North East include Sunderland's International Advanced Manufacturing Park and Forest Park in Newton Aycliffe. The Gateway site on Deeside is also in the running.
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David White, recently appointed as chief operating officer of Rolls-Royce SMR, said: "I’d like to thank the Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Welsh Government and the owners of the shortlisted sites for their continued support and cooperation. The overwhelmingly positive response, resulting in more potential sites than we might have hoped for, means we have more information to assess but is vitally important in helping us select the right locations for our factory.
“We’re also pleased to announce that another two locations – Shotton, Deeside and Teesworks, Redcar – have been added to the shortlist after the sites met the selection criteria."
Rolls-Royce SMR's plan is seen as a radically different way of setting up nuclear power stations with around 90% of the components being made in a factory. The FTSE100 firm plans to set up three plants - including one main site - that will produce components that are assembled into a nuclear power station that will generate 470MW of low-carbon electricity.
Rolls-Royce has been a nuclear reactor plant designer since the start of the UK nuclear submarine programme in the 1950s. It says the Rolls-Royce SMRs will draw upon standard nuclear energy technology that has been used in 400 reactors around the world.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "Being on the Rolls Royce shortlist is a real boost and shows prestigious global names are sitting up and taking notice of what we're doing at Teesworks. There's still a lot more to do, and it isn't guaranteed, but this shows we're well and truly in the mix for incredible investments which can create good quality jobs in our area.
"The expertise and the skills we hold in manufacturing mean we're already leading the pack when it comes to Net Zero innovation. More investment in nuclear simply means more jobs. Teesside is far and away the best place to get this project done."
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