Rolls-Royce selects design partners for Raynesway expansion

Rolls-Royce Submarines has announced the design partners who will work on the expansion of its Raynesway site in Derby.

Back in 2023, the engineering giant announced plans to double the size of its submarines site to meet the growth in demand from the Royal Navy, and as a result of last year’s AUKUS announcement.

The increase in demand will see new manufacturing and office facilities built in Derby and will create 1,170 skilled roles across a range of disciplines, including manufacturing and engineering.

As the work will take place within the nuclear licensed site at Raynesway, the design and construction of facilities adds a level of complexity and rigour above and beyond that of traditional builds.

Working as the PROPEL joint venture, it will be AtkinsRéalis and Mott MacDonald’s role to design these new facilities and work with the incoming construction partner to deliver them.

Terry Meighan, infrastructure director at Rolls-Royce Submarines, 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.”

Rolls-Royce Submarines currently employs more than 5,000 people and designs, manufactures and provides in-service support to the pressurised water reactors that power every boat in the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.

It is currently supporting the existing Astute and Dreadnought boat build programmes through the delivery of reactor plant and associated components.

AtkinsRéalis and Mott MacDonald are development consultancies with a wealth of experience in working on major, complex and high-profile projects.

Andy Smart, head of major projects (nuclear) at 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) at 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 milestone in Rolls-Royce’s ten-year expansion programme is to select the construction partner, who will bring AtkinsRéalis and Mott MacDonald’s designs to life.

They will be tasked with building the nuclear manufacturing facilities, with the winning firm being announced in the coming weeks.