Small Modular Reactors

Fossil fuels are being replaced by renewables and storage, but nuclear power remains essential in ensuring that we can still heat our homes and charge our cars when there’s no wind or sunshine. Conventional nuclear reactors have been getting larger, but also more challenging to finance, fabricate and construct. Small modular reactors (SMRs) benefit from smarter, simpler and more innovative design and manufacturing processes. Off-site factory build will keep costs down, transportation is easier and, assembly and construction times are much reduced.

Jacobs has significant experience in the design and build of the U.K.’s current fleet of Generation III advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) and pressurized water reactors (PWR). Part of a consortium led by Rolls-Royce, together we’re developing a Gen III+ compact nuclear power station, contributing civil engineering and advanced manufacturing skills and capabilities.

The compact power station will bolster efforts to tackle climate change and could potentially create 40,000 jobs, reinvigorate a vital part of the U.K.’s advanced manufacturing base and generate hundreds of billions of pounds in export revenues.

Our teams are working on design concepts across the nuclear island and balance of plant. We’re leading electrical, control and instrumentation and materials and chemistry and contributing to safety cases, plant performance, fuel route, the containment building concept and the reactor design.

We’re also working on several Generation IV Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) concepts and designs with AMR vendors. We have significant Gen IV experience from our work in European Union and U.K. Government-led research and development during the past 25 years.