Rolls-Royce Submarines has announced the joint appointment of AtkinsRéalis and Mott MacDonald as its new fissile design partners – a key milestone in the expansion of its Raynesway site.
This expansion, announced in June 2023, will see the site double in size to meet the growing demand for nuclear submarines from the Royal Navy, driven by the AUKUS agreement. The project will create 1,170 skilled roles across manufacturing and engineering disciplines.
As the work will take place within a nuclear licensed site, the design and construction of fissile facilities require a high level of complexity and rigor. AtkinsRéalis and Mott MacDonald, through their PROPEL joint venture, will be responsible for designing these critical new facilities and collaborating with the incoming fissile construction partner for their successful delivery.
Rolls-Royce Submarines Infrastructure Director Terry Meighan said: “The expansion work we have planned is of critical national importance as it enables us to safely increase our speed of manufacture, helping to deliver Dreadnought and the new SSN-AUKUS attack submarines at a much faster rate.
“The experience and deep nuclear knowledge, as well as the strong safety ethic, evidenced by the combined AtkinsRéalis and Mott MacDonald team means the design of our crucial new fissile facilities is in capable hands.”
Andy Smart, Head of Major Projects – Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis, said: These new facilities will be vital to deliver new submarines safely, swiftly and efficiently and we’re delighted to be appointed alongside Mott MacDonald to progress these plans at pace.
“This critical project requires expertise and skillsets across nuclear fuel management, defence and complex infrastructure programmes. Collectively, we’ll use our experience across these disciplines to support Rolls-Royce Submarines in the successful delivery of this programme.”
Jeremy Reed, Global Practice Leader – Nuclear, Mott MacDonald said: “Mott MacDonald brings over 60 years of experience delivering complex technical solutions in highly regulated, secure, and safety-critical nuclear environments. Combined with our commitment to excellence, safety, and sustainability, this experience, along with that of our partner AtkinsRéalis, will play a key role in supporting Rolls-Royce Submarines to deliver the successful expansion of the Derby site, continuing our longstanding commitment to support the UK submarine enterprise.”
The next crucial step in the ten-year expansion program is the selection of the fissile construction partner, who will bring the designs to life. The winning firm is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
