Rolls-Royce wins contract to build small nuclear reactors for Sweden

Vattenfall’s project company Videberg Kraft has selected Rolls-Royce SMR to supply three small modular reactors for a planned expansion at Sweden’s Ringhals nuclear site, marking a major step in the country’s effort to build new nuclear capacity.

The decision gives the British reactor developer a significant foothold in Sweden’s long-running push to add new generation and ends a supplier process that reportedly narrowed to Rolls-Royce SMR and GE Vernova Hitachi.

Each reactor is planned at 470 megawatts, for a combined capacity of about 1,500 megawatts. The project is tied to Sweden’s broader power-expansion strategy and to efforts by policymakers and industry backers to secure more stable electricity supply.

Supplier selection

E24 first reported that Videberg Kraft chose Rolls-Royce SMR after a three-year review of about 70 suppliers. SvD later reported the same decision and quoted Vattenfall chief executive Anna Borg at the announcement.

Borg said the company had reached the point where it could choose a supplier and that the decision had been based on several factors. Reporting from the process says cost, operating expenses and construction risk were central considerations.

According to the reporting, the reactors are expected to be built in the UK and the Czech Republic before being assembled in Sweden. The chosen design is Rolls-Royce SMR’s 470MW unit, which the company is trying to position as a European standard-bearer for smaller reactors.

The award is also a setback for GE Vernova Hitachi, which was the other finalist in the competition. The selection strengthens Rolls-Royce SMR’s profile as it seeks more contracts across Europe.

Ringhals and the timeline

The reactors are planned for the Ringhals site on Sweden’s west coast, an established nuclear location that has become central to the country’s latest build-out plans.

The first unit is expected to be ready in the mid-2030s, with the remaining reactors following later in the 2030s or, depending on build sequence, into the early 2040s. Different reports describe the full schedule slightly differently, but they agree that the project remains years away from first operation.

The project still has important milestones ahead. Financing, contracting and risk-sharing arrangements have not been finalized, and a final investment decision is still to come.

That means the supplier selection is a major advance, but not the end of the process. Videberg Kraft still needs to move through engineering, procurement and final commercial work before construction can begin.

Political and industry reaction

The Swedish government welcomed the choice, reflecting the political support behind the country’s renewed interest in nuclear power. The project has been presented as part of a wider effort to strengthen the electricity system and support industrial demand.

UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle also praised the award, calling it a vote of confidence in British innovation and the nuclear industry.

For Sweden, the deal is one of the clearest signs yet that a long-discussed nuclear expansion is moving from policy to execution. For Rolls-Royce SMR, it adds momentum to a European sales push that could shape the company’s prospects well beyond this single project.