Tue, 12 Aug 2025

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 Nuclear-powered AI could make Rolls Royce UK's most valuable firm, says boss

Tufan Erginbilgic says business deals to supply nuclear power for artificial intelligence could boost its fortunes

* Rolls-Royce's CEO, Tufan Erginbilgic, believes that the company has the potential to become the UK's most valuable company by providing small modular reactors (SMRs) to power AI-driven data centers.
* The SMR deals with the UK and Czech governments could make Rolls-Royce a market leader in nuclear capability globally.
* Erginbilgic estimates that 400 SMRs will be needed by 2050, generating a trillion-dollar-plus market for the company.
* Rolls-Royce has already signed deals to develop six SMRs for the Czech Republic and three for the UK, but the technology remains unproven.
* The company's biggest business is aircraft engines, which it plans to break into the next generation of narrow-bodied aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
* Erginbilgic believes that this market is the "single biggest opportunity for the UK for economic growth" and has the potential to match the value of AstraZeneca, HSBC, and Shell.
* Under Erginbilgic's leadership, Rolls-Royce's share price has increased ten-fold since January 2023, and the company expects to make a profit of over £3bn this year.
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