Rolls-Royce Mulls Funding Options for Reactor Unit, FT Says
(Bloomberg) -- Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc has held exploratory talks with advisers over funding options, including an initial public offering, for its small nuclear reactor unit, according to the Financial Times.
The early-stage discussions were with investment houses and banks over the future financing requirements of the business, the FT said, citing people people it didn’t identify. The UK government would want any potential IPO to be in London, which has experienced a dearth of listings in recent years, it added.
A spokesperson for Rolls-Royce SMR, when contacted by Bloomberg News, said the company isn’t planning an IPO for the unit.
The UK in June chose Rolls-Royce to provide technology for the country’s first small modular reactors, or SMRs, which have been billed as a cheaper and easier way to increase nuclear power. The decision concluded a competition launched almost two years ago, and it will see the company build three SMR units.
Britain is seeking to bring about a “golden age” for nuclear power, which it deems critical in achieving the country’s energy and climate goals. The government previously announced that it will invest £14.2 billion ($19 billion) in a much bigger atomic project in Suffolk as part of this effort.
(Updates with Rolls-Royce comment in third paragraph.)
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
