ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rolls-Royce SMR, a nuclear power company developing small modular reactor (SMR) technology aimed at reducing project risk, improving delivery certainty and providing low-carbon electricity quickly and affordably across global markets. The agreement establishes a framework for SMR collaboration, with both companies set to examine opportunities linked to Rolls-Royce SMR’s plans to develop a fleet of units.
Each unit will generate 470 MW of low-carbon electricity and will be capable of powering one million UK homes for 60 years. Under the SMR collaboration MoU, ABB will assess how its automation, electrification, instrumentation and communication solutions across its three business areas can support the scaling of SMR projects.
Rolls-Royce SMR Advances UK and European Projects
Rolls-Royce SMR has already started site-specific design and delivery activities for the UK’s first SMRs. The initial programme comprises three units in North Wales and is expected to create thousands of jobs while strengthening local-for-local supply chains. Beyond the UK, the company is working with ČEZ on the deployment of Rolls-Royce SMRs at Temelín, with potential for additional units at Tušimice and Dětmarovice. Rolls-Royce SMR has also recently been selected by Videberg Kraft to deliver three SMRs on Sweden’s Värö Peninsula. The SMR collaboration with ABB will be developed through ABB’s UK operations, which are headquartered in Warrington. ABB has around 110,000 employees worldwide, including at locations in Sweden and the Czech Republic.
Companies Highlight Role of Collaboration in Nuclear Delivery
“Rolls-Royce SMR is transforming the way nuclear projects are delivered, to give greater cost and schedule certainty with a standardized, factory-built approach,” said Stacy O’Brien, Head of Procurement Enterprise at Rolls-Royce SMR.
“ABB has a long and impressive record of delivering automation and electrification solutions to energy infrastructure projects and this agreement brings an opportunity to consider how we can further strengthen our delivery team,” she added.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), SMRs can be a catalyst for change if boosted by government support and new business models. With current policy settings, the IEA forecasts that total SMR capacity will reach 40 GW by 2050 – but with tailored policy support for nuclear power, streamlined regulations for SMRs and industry delivery on new designs, capacity could reach 120 GW.
“We are delighted to explore how we can work with Rolls-Royce SMR on its efforts to develop a global fleet of SMRs that can help expand reliable and affordable baseload power capacity to meet an increasing demand for low-carbon energy,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries division.
Rolls-Royce SMR Technology and Safety Design
At the core of each Rolls-Royce SMR is a pressurized water reactor (PWR), based on technology already operating within hundreds of nuclear reactors worldwide. The Rolls-Royce SMR’s PWR features a symmetrically arranged, three-loop, close coupled reactor. Its plant design incorporates multiple layers of safety, redundancy and back-up systems and is designed to meet the highest standards of safety, security and safeguards.
