Member Info for LesBoy

The government will spend a minimum of 10% of the MoD’s equipment budget on tech such as drones and AI, boosting production in places such as Derby, Glasgow and Newport.

There will be a protected budget of £400m within the MoD for UK defence innovation, rising over time.

Reforms to defence procurement will aim to make it quicker and give small businesses better access to MoD contracts.

There will be £200m to support nuclear submarine jobs in Barrow and funds for military homes and naval ports such as Portsmouth and Plymouth.

Support for UK Export Finance will aim to help finance overseas purchase of UK defence equipment.

Reeves wants to make the UK a “defence-industrial superpower”, placing defence at the heart of economic growth.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/26/spring-statement-2025-key-points-rachel-reeves

Quadrise PLC - Quadrise agrees new technology tie-up to potentially boost its marine fuels business

Quadrise PLC (AIM:QED) has agreed a new potential partnership, with Licella Holdings, to explore the use of renewable feedstocks in marine fuels.

Together the companies will assess the potential of Licella’s Cat-HTR bio-intermediate for use in Quadrise’s bioMSAR and bioMSAR Zero fuels.

It comes as Quadrise is about to enter commercial trials for its marine fuels, with shipping giant MSC.

Dr Len Humphreys, Licella executive chair, described the Quadrise tie-up as an important step, as his company works to scale sustainable solutions to drive market adoption of its technology.

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1068520/quadrise-agrees-new-technology-tie-up-to-potentially-boost-its-marine-fuels-business-1068520.html

Apologies... £1 forecast !

All in the rns

News reports indicate that Rachel is not completely off her head...

Dat Tufan, he de MAN!

You're most welcome, etank.

The German Customs Administration has officially commissioned the new 67-metre customs vessel “Rügen”, powered by mtu gas engines from Rolls-Royce, marking a key step in the modernisation of Germany’s customs fleet, according to a press release.

The Rügen, the largest vessel in the German customs fleet, was put into service on 18 March 2025 in Stralsund, northern Germany. It is the first of four new customs vessels equipped with mtu Series 4000 gas engines, providing both propulsion and onboard power. The ships are being built as part of a broader fleet upgrade for operations in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Rolls-Royce is also equipping three additional 55-metre customs vessels, currently under construction at Peene-Werft shipyard in Wolgast, northern Germany. Each will be powered by three 16-cylinder mtu Series 4000 gas engines, with a ten percent power increase to 1,641 kW per engine, enabling a top speed of 26 knots.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/german-customs-fleet-buys-mtu-engines-from-rolls-royce/

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https://www.ft.com/content/47891c05-ad3c-4e2e-8b98-b5987e193795?segmentId=bf7fa2fd-67ee-cdfa-8261-b2a3edbdf916

The head of Rolls-Royce has warned that the UK government runs the risk that critical supply chains to support the development of small nuclear reactors will be built elsewhere if it fails to select the companies to build them by the end of June.

Tufan Erginbilgiç, chief executive of the FTSE 100 engineer, said Britain risked repeating what happened during the offshore wind energy revolution over the past decade when the country lagged behind other European nations in manufacturing key turbine components. 

Rolls-Royce was one of four companies shortlisted last year by the government to develop small nuclear modular reactors (SMRs). The competition has been subject to delays, although Great British Energy, the government’s state-owned energy company, is expected to select two winners by the “spring”. 

Although further delays would be a risk for Rolls-Royce’s own plans, there was more of a risk for the UK with regards to the supply chain, said Erginbilgiç.

“Why do you think the wind supply chain didn’t happen in the UK? These supply chains, once they are developed somewhere, it is hard to change them because external economies happen there, economies of scale happen etc, etc,” he told the Financial Times in an interview. 

It was important that GBN did not “delay any more” and that the “selection now comes in June,” Erginbilgiç added. 

Governments are interested in the potential for SMRs — nuclear reactors that are smaller than the gigawatt-scale plants widely built around the world — to provide a reliable electricity supply to meet rising demand without generating carbon emissions.

Officials hope the scale and modular design of SMRs mean they can be built without the budget overruns and delays that have beset large-scale nuclear-power projects in recent years. 

SMRs have also come into focus as tech groups such as Amazon and Google have struck power supply deals to power energy-hungry artificial intelligence data centres.

https://www.ft.com/content/47891c05-ad3c-4e2e-8b98-b5987e193795?segmentId=bf7fa2fd-67ee-cdfa-8261-b2a3edbdf916

Cheers, Joe

Https://www.asx.com.au/markets/company/svm

Rolls-Royce looks expensive – this is why we’re not done buying...

With growth to come in defence, air travel and net zero, this company’s shares are set for higher climbs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/investing/stocks-shares/rolls-royce-stunning-share-price-growth-strong-returns/

... another two 3,800,000 buys at 10.50

I've just seen a 3,800,000 buy at 10.50

March 17, 2025:

BAE Systems and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) have signed a contract to advance the next phase of Canada’s River-class destroyer programme. This follows the Canadian Government’s approval for the construction of the first three of 15 planned ships, alongside the development of training, maintenance, and spare parts support.

The River-class destroyer programme is the largest and most complex shipbuilding effort in Canada since the Second World War. These ships will provide combat capability for maritime operations and joint-force missions while also supporting counter-piracy, counterterrorism, intelligence gathering, and humanitarian efforts.

Under this contract, BAE Systems will provide support and consultancy services throughout the shipbuilding process. Irving Shipbuilding will benefit from expertise gained from the UK’s Type 26 and Australia’s Hunter-class programmes, ensuring efficient and effective ship production.

Anderson Smith, International Programmes Director at BAE Systems, highlighted the significance of the contract and praised the collaborative efforts behind the programme. He emphasised BAE’s role in ensuring the successful delivery of the first three ships and the importance of industry partnerships in achieving world-class naval capability.

https://defence-industry.eu/bae-systems-and-irving-shipbuilding-sign-contract-for-canadas-river-class-destroyer-programme/

The spot price of gold has surpassed $3,000 an ounce for the first time, as geopolitical turmoil continues to propel the precious metal to fresh record highs.

Gold is seen as a safe haven for investors. President Trump’s tariff onslaught has hit the outlook for US economic growth and led to a sell-off in American stocks, with the S&P 500 falling into correction territory last night.

The spot price of gold rose 0.4 per cent to hit $3,000.87 an ounce in morning trading on Friday, continuing a rally that has added about 17 per cent to the price so far this year hitting all-time highs 13 times.

Analysts at RBC Capital Markets said: “Gold continues to price uncertainty, specifically tariff uncertainty. While economic uncertainty is rising, vibes and sentiment are deteriorating, and recession probabilities have risen well above 30 per cent, we still view gold’s price patterns as tied to tariffs.”

They added that “general uncertainty and chaos” were “very supportive factors of gold”.

https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/economics/article/gold-price-breaks-3000-first-time-investors-rush-safety-dz9qlz093

Sovereign Metals Limited (ASX:SVM; AIM:SVML; OTCQX: SVMLF) (Sovereign or the Company) advises that it was notified today via the filing of a Form 604 with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) that Sprott Inc. and each of its controlled bodies (Sprott) provided a notice of change of interests of substantial holder (as defined by the Corporations Act 2001) of the Company as of 6 March 2025, having increased its shareholding in the Company from 40,033,294 ordinary shares, representing 6.70% of the Company's issued share capital, to 46,266,677 ordinary shares, representing 7.71% of the Company's issued share capital, via on market trades between 6 September 2024 - 6 March 2025.

The £110m facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham was officially opened in 2015 and is where turbine blades are manufactured for Rolls-Royce's world-leading aeroplane engines.

Following continued demand and thousands of engines on order, the firm is working on proposals to double the factory’s production capacity which is key to the manufacture of single crystal (SX) turbine blades.

With an initial capacity of 100,000 blades per year, it was always likely to increase to 200,000 when the pioneering manufacturing process had been proven.

The ABCF has a prime position within the South Yorkshire Investment Zone and so the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is looking to support Rolls-Royce with a grant, potentially up to £2m.

Allthough SYMCA meeting papers do not name the beneficiary company, the information all points to Rolls-Royce.

Papers say: "IZ002 [the company] is currently undergoing a major transformation which began in 2023 and is anticipated to complete by 2027, with particular focus on reducing operating costs.

"The Facility in Rotherham is a cutting-edge supplier of high-value superalloy turbine blade castings. IZ0002 load and capacity planning forecasts a demand increase of circa 100,000 single crystal turbine blade castings per year between 2024 and 2030, with existing factory capacity exceeded in 2026. The investment proposal is for a £21.3m investment in the facility to double the factory’s production capacity.

https://www.rothbiz.co.uk/2025/03/news-8651-rolls-royce-readying-21m.html

2,000,000 trade at 1,645.50 reported

I don't necessarily agree with it all... but for interest:

From Simply WallSt: Key Takeaways

Rolls-Royce's revenue projections may be overly optimistic, relying heavily on LTSA growth, engine performance, and contract renegotiations amidst competitive challenges.

Strategic moves into SMRs and new technologies entail high investment and regulatory risks, which could affect revenue growth and capital returns.

Rolls-Royce's robust operating performance, cost reductions, and strategic investments are driving profit growth, financial stability, and competitive market positioning.

Catalysts

About Rolls-Royce Holdings

Develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for air, sea, and land in the United Kingdom and internationally.

What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?

Rolls-Royce's focus on growing the LTSA (Long-Term Service Agreement) balances could suggest overly optimistic revenue projections, as the company assumes continued growth in engine flying hours and improvements in LTSA margins, potentially leading to overestimation of future cash flows and profits.

The anticipated significant improvements in time-on-wing performance by doubling it for certain engines, while potentially reducing shop visits, might not materialize as expected or may face competitive and operational challenges, impacting profit margins and cash flow projections.

The restructuring of the Power Systems business, focusing on larger, higher-margin products and growing data center demand, carries execution risks. If market growth doesn't meet expectations, revenue forecasts could be overstated.

The dependence on renegotiating OE (Original Equipment) and aftermarket contracts to achieve profit growth might pose a risk if these renegotiations fail to secure more favorable terms, potentially affecting net margins and earnings.

The strategic expansion into SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) and other new technologies requires substantial investment and assumes regulatory approvals and market demand will align favorably. Delays or obstacles in these areas could lead to increased costs and impact expected revenue growth and return on capital.