Rotherham set for £400 million nuclear power business boost

Rolls-Royce’s planned factory development on the Advanced Manufacturing Park is expected to play a key role in making parts for new power stations in a link-up which the Government said would create 600 jobs at the South Yorkshire plant and 600 more in the supply chain. Rolls Royce said last year that the plans would bring 350 jobs.

The deal will see the two countries building a new wave of nuclear power plants.

French engineering business Areva will supply the core of the nuclear reactors and Rolls-Royce will supply other engineering work.

Rolls-Royce is expected to win a £400 million share in the building of the first of the planned power plants and will carry out the work required at the AMP in Catcliffe.

“Rolls-Royce will become our prime manufacturing partner to supply some £100 million of key critical components of the reactor for each power plant constructed in the UK,” said Robert Davies, of Areva UK.

Rolls-Royce’s plans include factory developments totalling 44,000 sq m over three separate factories.

One of the factories has been earmarked to manufacture, assemble and test components for the proposed civil nuclear power stations.

David Cameron was in Paris today to sign the agreement.

A statement from Downing Street said: “This joint declaration will signal our shared commitment to the future of civil nuclear power, setting out a shared long term vision of safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy, that supports growth and helps to deliver our emission reductions targets.”