Rolls-Royce SMR has announced a final shortlist of three sites – all in the north of England – from which it will select the location of its first factory.

The company, which is working to deploy its small modular reactor design in England and Wales by the early part of next decade, said the heavy pressure vessels (HPV) factory – the size of four football pitches – will produce components for a fleet of SMRs designed and built in the UK.

The three sites on the final shortlist are the International Advanced Manufacturing Park, a business park in Sunderland, the Teesworks freeport in Teesside and Gateway commercial zone in Deeside.

Rolls-Royce SMR said the final selection was made following a series of visits and further assessments of each site’s suitability to host the HPV factory.