Rolls-Royce hails success of Westminster nuclear showcase

Rolls-Royce has been reflecting on a successful event held in Parliament, which showcased the best of the civil nuclear sector.

Nuclear Week in Parliament, which took place last week, brought together hundreds of representatives from across the nuclear industry to Westminster to discuss its transformational potential.

At the event, teams from across the Rolls-Royce SMR (Small Modular Reactor) business – including skills and learning, supply chain, community and stakeholder engagement, engineering and many of its latest graduates and apprentices – were involved in meetings, events, showcases, briefings and discussions on all aspects of the nuclear industry.

Alastair Evans, Rolls-Royce SMR’s government and corporate affairs director, said: “Nuclear Week in Parliament 2026 has been another outstanding opportunity to showcase the transformational potential of the UK nuclear industry and the vital role that Rolls‑Royce SMR will play in delivering secure, low‑carbon energy for generations to come.

“The momentum behind nuclear has never been stronger, and the discussions we’ve had across Westminster underscore just how critical our work is to the UK’s energy future.”

Nuclear Week in Parliament was organised by the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), the trade association for the civil nuclear industry in the UK, which represents over 300 companies across the UK’s nuclear supply chain.

This year’s Nuclear Week saw 18 events held, bringing together parliamentarians, civil servants and industry leaders for open, constructive conversations between Westminster and the civil nuclear sector for what will be a hugely important year of delivery.

As well as exhibiting at the event, Rolls-Royce also took part in some of the events, with its director of engineering and technology, Lee Warren, speaking about the opportunities.

Derby has a burgeoning nuclear industry. It is home to Rolls-Royce Submarines, in Raynesway, which builds reactor cores for Royal Navy submarines.

It is now in the process of doubling the size of its Derby site after being awarded the £9 billion unity contract.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce SMR is developing and designing mini nuclear power stations, which it believes will unlock supply chain investment, create thousands of long-term highly-skilled jobs and generate “enormous opportunities” for growth.

The firm has been selected as preferred bidder in the Great British Energy – Nuclear SMR competition to deploy its ‘factory-built’ power stations across the UK.

According to Rolls-Royce SMR, each of its nuclear power plants will generate enough stable low-carbon electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years, using a “radically new approach to deploying proven nuclear technology”.

Derby is also home to the Nuclear Skills Academy, which is producing a pipeline of talented nuclear engineers.

Among the attendees at Nuclear Week were Baggy Shanker, MP for Derby North and Catherine Atkinson, MP for Derby South – the latter of which asked a question in Parliament about how the Government can make sure local people feel the benefit of its investment in nuclear.