Curtiss-Wright Signs Strategic Partnership With Rolls-Royce SMR for Its Small Modular Reactor Technology

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Curtiss-Wright Corporation announced that its UK-based Curtiss-Wright Nuclear business (formerly Ultra Energy) signed a multi-million dollar strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR to deliver critical safety systems for its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. Under the contract, Curtiss-Wright will provide design, qualification, testing and supply of the non-programmable diverse Reactor Protection Systems for a global fleet of Rolls-Royce SMRs.

Work under this agreement, including the design and implementation of Curtiss-Wright’s Reactor Protection Systems, will be performed by Curtiss-Wright Nuclear’s facility in Dorset, UK, supporting regional economic growth, as well as expanding the UK’s nuclear skills, opportunities and capabilities.

“We have a strong UK-based team focused on supporting this partnership and we’re all excited to be part of the Rolls-Royce SMR story,” said Ognjen Starovic, General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Nuclear. “We take great pride in helping to deliver a British SMR, as well as provide our people with new career opportunities and create long-term job growth in the region.”

Ruth Todd, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Operations & Supply Chain Director, said: “We are delighted to begin this important and enduring partnership with Curtiss-Wright. Securing industry leading expertise will further de-risk our programme by underpinning a critical element of the design.”

The Rolls-Royce SMR will be the first new nuclear power station to be designed and built in the UK for more than a generation and offers a radically different approach based on proven technology. Each ‘factory-built’ nuclear power plant will provide enough affordable, low-carbon electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years.

In October 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected by CEZ to deploy up to 3GW of electricity in the Czech Republic and in July 2025, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as preferred bidder by Great British Energy – Nuclear to provide the UK’s first SMRs. The Rolls-Royce SMR is progressing through the final stage of Assessment by the UK nuclear industry’s independent regulators - further ahead than any other SMR in a European regulatory process.

Non-programmable diverse Reactor Protection Systems are safety critical back-up instruments, designed to provide an independent means of shutting down a reactor. They are simple and robust, deploying proven-in-use electronic technology and techniques, while avoiding the use of microprocessors, software or programmable devices.