Rolls-Royce Submarines has officially broken ground on a substantial expansion of its Raynesway site in Derby. As a result, the existing facility will more than double in size. Therefore, the firm can scale its manufacturing output to meet the requirements of both the UK and Australian Royal Navies.
Rolls-Royce’s development will add more than 100,000m2 of high-tech manufacturing and office space to the facility. Furthermore, to support this upgrade, the manufacturer has created 1,170 skilled engineering, technical, and manufacturing roles in Derby.
Meeting the AUKUS Drumbeat and the Nuclear Deterrent
The Raynesway facility represents the core of the UK’s naval nuclear infrastructure. Specifically, it is responsible for designing and building the pressurised water reactors that power each submarine in the Royal Navy’s fleet. The expansion is driven by international commitments under the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US. This positions Rolls-Royce to provide the nuclear reactors for the future fleet of Australian SSN-AUKUS attack submarines.
It will ensure ongoing component delivery for the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Astute and Dreadnought boat build programmes. Therefore, cementing the site’s role within the wider Defence Nuclear Enterprise.
High-Level Ministerial and Military Alignment
To mark the commencement of foundational work, Rolls Royce held a ceremonial groundbreaking on-site. Minister of State for Defence Lord Coaker, Rolls-Royce Submarines President Abi Clayton, and Commodore Alistair Moody, Director for Nuclear Propulsion at the Submarine Delivery Group, initiated the excavation.
The event highlights the integrated nature of the build programme. It is being treated as a coordinated national endeavour between corporate, military, and governmental branches.
“Breaking ground is a significant step forward in the critical growth of our business,” said Abi Clayton, President of Rolls-Royce Submarines. “This expansion will more than double the size of our manufacturing facility, strengthening our capability and demonstrating our ongoing commitment to the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. This work will unlock much-needed manufacturing capacity on site, allowing us to enhance our delivery drumbeat to support the boat build programmes.”
During the site tour, government and military officials observed progress on the fifth SSN-AUKUS reactor core currently inside the existing manufacturing line.
“The expansion of the Rolls-Royce site is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to the UK’s nuclear deterrent,” noted Defence Minister Lord Coaker. “Witnessing the manufacturing of the fifth SSN-AUKUS reactor and the hundreds of apprentices in action was inspiring, seeing defence investment creating jobs, driving growth, and keeping the UK safe.”
Nurturing the Next Generation of Industrial Talent
A core pillar of the expansion strategy relies on scaling the technical talent pipeline. While on-site, leadership teams met with several Rolls-Royce nuclear welding apprentices who recently locked out the top four positions at the SkillWeld 26 East Midlands heats, marking the first time in the competition’s history that all top spots were won by individuals from a single organisation.
The achievement follows the recent selection of Rolls-Royce welding apprentice Jack Billingham to represent Great Britain at the prestigious upcoming WorldSkills event in Japan, illustrating the high benchmark of technical training embedded within the Derby ecosystem.
Long-Term Regional and Global Support Footprint
Rolls-Royce Submarines currently employs more than 5,500 people, managing complex lifecycle assets from its centralised Operations Centre in Derby. Beyond the main manufacturing facilities, the organisation operates frontline support teams co-located with fleet deployments at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, as well as the key naval bases at Devonport and Faslane. Technical specialist hubs also remain active across Glasgow, Cardiff, and Thurso to maintain continuous operational readiness for the fleet.
