UK-Based Curtiss-Wright to Supply Critical Safety Systems for Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors

Curtiss-Wright’s UK-based nuclear division has entered into a strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR to supply critical safety systems for a new generation of small modular reactors being developed in the UK and abroad. The agreement marks a significant step in the buildout of the UK’s SMR program, which aims to deliver compact, factory-built nuclear power stations to support clean energy goals.

Under the multi-million-dollar contract, Curtiss-Wright Nuclear, formerly known as Ultra Energy, will provide the design, testing, qualification, and supply of non-programmable diverse Reactor Protection Systems. These systems serve as safety mechanisms that offer an independent method to shut down a reactor in the event of an emergency.

The partnership will be anchored in Curtiss-Wright’s facility in Dorset, UK, which will handle all engineering and production work associated with the safety systems. The project is expected to support regional economic development and provide new opportunities for the country’s nuclear workforce.

Rolls-Royce SMR is developing what could become the first new nuclear power station to be designed and constructed in the UK in over a generation. Each compact plant is designed to be manufactured in factories, then transported and assembled on site, offering a faster and more scalable alternative to traditional nuclear construction. Once operational, each SMR is expected to produce enough low-carbon electricity to power one million homes for over 60 years.

Ruth Todd, Operations and Supply Chain Director for Rolls-Royce SMR, said the agreement helps reduce risk in the SMR program. “Securing industry-leading expertise will further de-risk our program by underpinning a critical element of the design,” she said.

The non-programmable safety systems being supplied by Curtiss-Wright use electronic technology rather than software or microprocessors, providing a simple safeguard to ensure reactor shutdown if required.

Rolls-Royce SMR has made recent progress in both domestic and international markets. In July 2025, it was selected as the preferred bidder by Great British Energy – Nuclear to build the UK’s first SMRs. It was also chosen by CEZ in the Czech Republic in October 2024 to deploy up to 3 gigawatts of nuclear capacity. The Rolls-Royce SMR design is currently in the final assessment phase by UK nuclear regulators and is further along than any other SMR project in Europe.