Rolls-Royce SMR has signed a memorandum of understanding with energy consultancy and project developer Equilibrion to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of producing sustainable aviation fuel using small modular reactors. The collaboration will examine how nuclear-generated heat and electricity could support large-scale production of synthetic aviation fuels.

The initiative focuses on Equilibrion’s Eq.flight system, a modular platform designed to produce power-to-liquids sustainable aviation fuel using electricity and heat. By pairing the system with a Rolls-Royce small modular reactor, the partners aim to explore whether nuclear energy can provide the consistent, low-carbon power required for commercial-scale fuel production.

Industrial Use of Small Modular Reactors

The Rolls-Royce small modular reactor design produces approximately 470 megawatts of electricity and is based on a pressurised water reactor architecture. The system is designed for at least 60 years of operation and is manufactured largely in factory environments, with most components assembled on site as prefabricated modules. This approach is intended to reduce construction complexity and shorten project timelines.

Small modular reactors can supply both electricity and high-grade heat, making them suitable for energy-intensive industrial processes such as hydrogen production and synthetic fuel synthesis. These characteristics make nuclear energy a potential candidate for supporting the energy requirements of sustainable aviation fuel production facilities.

Under the collaboration, Equilibrion and Rolls-Royce SMR will evaluate how nuclear power could be integrated with the Eq.flight system to support scalable fuel production. According to Equilibrion, a single Rolls-Royce SMR paired with Eq.flight could potentially produce more than 160 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel annually. This output could contribute significantly toward the United Kingdom’s long-term targets for power-to-liquids aviation fuel.

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Feasibility Study in Southwest England

The partnership announcement coincided with the completion of a feasibility study examining nuclear-derived aviation fuel and hydrogen production in southwest England. The study was conducted by Bristol Airport and Equilibrion with support from aviation fuel supplier Q8Aviation and energy infrastructure company Exolum.

The analysis evaluated how small modular reactors could supply low-carbon energy to produce both sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen for aviation and airport operations. The findings suggest the region could host nuclear-powered fuel production facilities capable of supporting future demand for lower-emissions aviation fuels.

Equilibrion’s Eq.flight project, supported by funding from the United Kingdom Department for Transport through the Advanced Fuels Fund, aims to deliver a demonstration facility by 2030 to validate the system’s commercial and technical viability.

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Growing Demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Aviation remains one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions globally, while the supply of sustainable aviation fuel currently accounts for less than one percent of total aviation fuel consumption.

The United Kingdom has introduced policy targets requiring sustainable aviation fuel to represent 22 percent of aviation fuel use by 2040. Achieving this goal will require significant increases in fuel production capacity and large volumes of reliable low-carbon energy.

Nuclear power is increasingly being examined as a potential energy source for synthetic fuel production because it can provide stable electricity and heat without direct carbon emissions. Integrating nuclear energy with fuel synthesis technologies could help expand sustainable aviation fuel supply while supporting industrial decarbonisation.

The collaboration between Rolls-Royce SMR and Equilibrion will focus on determining whether nuclear-powered production systems can offer a technically viable and economically competitive pathway for scaling sustainable aviation fuel production in the United Kingdom and potentially in global aviation markets.

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