Siemens Energy will manufacture major steam turbine components in the UK for the first three Rolls-Royce small modular reactors planned at Wylfa in North Wales.
The components will be produced at the company’s historic CA Parsons Works facility in Newcastle, supporting the UK’s effort to build a domestic supply chain for new nuclear power. The work is expected to support more than 550 jobs and serve the wider export market for small modular reactors.
Newcastle Takes Nuclear Role
The Newcastle facility will produce high-pressure turbine components and valve casings for the reactors. These parts are essential to the steam turbine system that converts heat from a nuclear reactor into electricity. Manufacturing them in Britain will reduce the need to source these major components from overseas.
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The announcement was made at the CA Parsons Works site in Newcastle in the presence of Miatta Fahnbulleh, the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Science and Trade.
The site has been part of Britain’s energy industry since 1889. Its history includes the manufacture of the steam turbine for Calder Hall in West Cumbria, which began operating in 1956 as the world’s first commercial nuclear power station.
Siemens Energy was chosen by Rolls-Royce SMR in February 2025 as its global turbine systems partner. Under the agreement, Siemens Energy will be the sole supplier of steam turbines, generators and other auxiliary systems for Rolls-Royce SMR’s planned nuclear plants.
Its nuclear technology portfolio includes steam turbines and generators ranging from 20 MW to 1,900 MW, along with control and operational systems.
Building A Local Supply Chain
The latest agreement extends that partnership into UK manufacturing. Siemens Energy will make components for the Wylfa project while also preparing its Newcastle operation to serve a wider international market for SMR technology.
Rolls-Royce SMR said the move is the first time these components will be manufactured for an SMR anywhere in Europe.
The company said the work will support more than 550 jobs in Newcastle and create additional opportunities for local suppliers.
Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive Chris Cholerton said the project would help bring manufacturing work back to Britain that would otherwise have been carried out overseas. He said the partnership would also help develop the skills and supply chain required for future nuclear projects.
Siemens Energy UK Vice President Darren Davidson said the Newcastle facility is preparing to manufacture the next generation of steam turbines for SMRs.
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He linked the investment to energy security, skilled employment and the UK’s future electricity system. Great British Energy-Nuclear Chief Executive Simon Roddy said the project shows how different parts of Britain can contribute to the country’s SMR programme.
Inside The Rolls-Royce Design
The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe small pressurised water reactor. It is designed to provide steady electricity generation for at least 60 years. About 90% of the reactor is planned to be manufactured in factory conditions before being transported to the site for assembly.
The reactor measures about 16 metres by 4 metres. Its factory-based construction model is designed to reduce the amount of work required at the nuclear site. Pre-fabricated and tested modules are assembled on location, which is intended to reduce construction risks and shorten build schedules.
The Wylfa project is planned as three Rolls-Royce SMR units. The UK government selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred technology for the country’s first SMR project in June 2025. A final investment decision is expected in 2029.
Wylfa Project Moves Ahead
Wylfa, on Anglesey in North Wales, was selected by the UK government in November 2025 as the site for the three reactors. The location already has a nuclear history, with a Magnox power station now being decommissioned. The government has said the site has potential capacity for as many as eight SMRs.
In April 2026, Rolls-Royce SMR signed an agreement with Great British Energy-Nuclear to begin site-specific design and delivery work for the first UK reactors.
In May, Great British Energy-Nuclear asked local people to suggest a name for the planned plant. After hundreds of proposals were submitted, a panel of young people from Anglesey selected the name Gwyndod Power Station.
The project also has an international dimension. In October 2024, Czech utility CEZ selected Rolls-Royce SMR for plans to deploy up to 3 GW of electricity and took a 20% stake in the company. The first Czech unit is planned near the existing Temelín nuclear site, with other potential projects being considered at former coal-fired power stations including Tušimice.
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The Newcastle manufacturing programme therefore extends beyond one UK nuclear site. Components made for Wylfa will also help establish production capability for future Rolls-Royce SMR projects in other markets. The development gives Siemens Energy a role in a reactor programme that is being positioned for both domestic deployment and international expansion.
For the UK, the next stage will depend on investment decisions, regulatory approvals and site-specific engineering at Wylfa. For Siemens Energy and its industrial partners, the Newcastle work provides a manufacturing base for an SMR design intended to be built repeatedly rather than constructed entirely on each site.
If the programme advances as planned, the components made in Newcastle will form part of the equipment used in Britain’s first Rolls-Royce SMR units and future projects abroad.
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