Teesside and Sunderland make it to final three bids for Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor factory

Rolls-Royce has shortlisted two North East sites as potential locations for its first factory manufacturing parts for its fleet of nuclear power stations.

The company says the shortlist of possible sites includes Teesworks on Teesside, International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) in Sunderland and South Tyneside and Gateway in North Wales.

The Small Module Reactor (SMR) facility will be around the size of three football pitches and create more than 200 long-term jobs.

It will have the capacity to generate enough low-carbon energy to power one million homes.

Tom Samson, Rolls-Royce SMR chief executive, said: "I want to thank everyone involved in the selection process and offer my congratulations to the three that have made the final shortlist.

"This is part of the process to build the first of at least three factories that will manufacture components for a fleet of small modular reactors and will present an incredible opportunity for a region of the UK.

"Our power stations will be built in British factories situated in the north of England or Wales and will generate tens of thousands of long-term highly skilled jobs - accelerating regional economic growth."

A decision on the location will be made early next year after final evaluations are made against the requirements and criteria for the factory.

It is hoped a fleet of Rolls-Royce SMR power stations will increase the UK's energy security and support net zero targets by generating low-carbon electricity from a sustainable source for generations.

It is currently the only SMR in Europe in the regulatory process.

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