UK’s Rolls-Royce taps small nuclear reactors to fuel AI boom

Rolls-Royce is aiming to become the UK’s most valuable company by leveraging its expertise in nuclear technology to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI). The company plans to power AI infrastructure using small modular reactors (SMRs), having already secured deals with the UK and Czech Republic governments. Rolls-Royce’s CEO, Tufan Erginbilgic, highlighted the company’s unique nuclear capabilities, including its experience supplying reactors for submarines, as a key competitive advantage in developing land-based SMRs. He predicts a global market need for 400 SMRs by 2050, each costing around $3 billion, representing a trillion-dollar opportunity. Rolls-Royce’s SMRs are designed to generate 470 megawatts of low-carbon energy—enough to power approximately 3 million homes—and are faster to build than traditional nuclear plants. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Škoda JS to explore component production for its SMR program, aiming