Submarine work sparks Rolls-Royce expansion

Rolls-Royce has announced plans to almost double the size of its Raynesway site, creating hundreds of new jobs in Derby.

Funded by the MoD, the site development is required to meet orders for the Royal Navy’s new submarines as well as vessels destined for Australia.

In March 2023, it was confirmed that Rolls-Royce Submarines would provide all the nuclear reactor plants that will power new attack submarines as part of the tri-lateral agreement between Australia, the UK and US.

This increase in demand will see new manufacturing and office facilities being built on recently acquired land surrounding the existing Raynesway site. It will also create 1,170 skilled roles within Rolls-Royce across a range of disciplines, including manufacturing and engineering.

Rolls Royce Submarines President Steve Carlier, said: “This is a truly exciting time for our business, with work secured that will see us support UK and Australian submarines well into the second half of this century.

“For over 60 years we have provided the power to the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines and our expansion plans are the first step in helping Australia acquire its own nuclear propulsion attack submarine capability.”

Rolls-Royce is currently supporting the existing Astute and Dreadnought boat build programmes through the delivery of a reactor plant and associated components. Additionally, it provides frontline support across the world for reactor plant equipment from its Operations Centre in Derby and supports the submarines when in the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard and the naval bases at Devonport and Faslane.