Rolls-Royce SMR and Studsvik Sign MoU to Bolster Global Nuclear Supply Chain

Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd and Studsvik AB signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 25 to deepen their collaboration across the Swedish nuclear technology company's full range of services, with the agreement signed in Stockholm and aimed squarely at accelerating the deployment of Rolls-Royce's factory-built SMRs in Europe and beyond.

The agreement enables the two companies to evaluate Studsvik's capabilities and facilities, covering fuel qualification and testing, plant life management, hot cell technology, core design and operational modelling, and regulatory licensing support.

Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Chris Cholerton said the agreement "expands our relationship with Studsvik and strengthens our European supply chain, bringing together world-class expertise to support the rollout of Rolls-Royce SMR technology," adding that "Studsvik's long-standing capabilities in nuclear services make them an ideal partner as we accelerate towards deploying our SMRs across global markets."

Studsvik's side of the equation is not a new name to the Rolls-Royce programme, but this MoU formalises and broadens a relationship that previously operated on narrower terms. Karl Thedéen, Studsvik President and CEO, said the company is "delighted to extend our relationship with Rolls-Royce SMR at a time when SMR technology is making strides in the nuclear industry," noting that "governments and customers around the world have taken decisions on important investments in nuclear power, creating long-term opportunities," and expressing confidence that "both organisations will benefit from the acceleration of Rolls-Royce SMR business activities in the Nordics, UK and Europe, supporting stable, clean, and reliable energy."

Studsvik's profile in the SMR space has grown sharply in recent weeks: earlier this month the company announced its acquisition of Swedish SMR project development company Kärnfull Next, expanding its role from supporting the world's existing nuclear fleet to also developing new nuclear projects. That acquisition makes the depth of technical services now on offer to Rolls-Royce SMR considerably wider than the company's historic remit as a services provider.

The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurised water reactor that will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years, with ninety percent of the unit built in factory conditions, limiting on-site activity primarily to assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested modules.

The Studsvik partnership is one of several supply-chain moves Rolls-Royce SMR has made as it navigates a compressed deployment timeline. Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected as the preferred bidder by Great British Energy-Nuclear to deliver the UK's first SMRs and by European utility ČEZ to deploy up to 3 GW of new nuclear power in the Czech Republic. In Sweden specifically, an application was received in December to support proposals for either five GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactors or three Rolls-Royce SMRs to provide approximately 1,500 MW of capacity at Ringhals on the Värö Peninsula, submitted by Videberg Kraft AB, a project company owned by Vattenfall AB and backed by industrial firms via the Industrikraft i Sverige AB consortium. The Nordics, in other words, are no longer a future consideration for Rolls-Royce SMR; they are an active competitive theatre, and having Studsvik's hot-cell facilities and licensing expertise already embedded in the programme's supply chain positions the company well for whatever site decisions follow.

The broader Rolls-Royce SMR supply chain already includes a consortium of established UK nuclear industry brands: Assystem, Atkins, BAM Nuttall, Laing O'Rourke, the National Nuclear Laboratory, Jacobs, The Welding Institute and Nuclear AMRC, all operating with support from UK Research and Innovation. Studsvik, listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and headquartered in Nyköping, brings more than 75 years of nuclear lifecycle experience to that network, from new construction services through to final disposal, a span of capability that few independent nuclear technology companies anywhere can match.