ABB and Rolls-Royce to collaborate on small modular nuclear reactors
8 September 2026 
ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rolls-Royce SMR to support the development of small, standardised, factory-built modular nuclear reactors, each capable of generating 470 MW of low-carbon electricity.
The two companies will look at collaborating on Rolls-Royce’s plans to develop a fleet of these reactors, each capable of powering one million UK homes for 60 years.
ABB will explore how its automation, electrification, instrumentation and communication technologies can help Rolls-Royce to scale the SMR projects. The collaboration will be developed via ABB’s UK operation, headquartered in Warrington.
“Rolls-Royce SMR is transforming the way nuclear projects are delivered, to give greater cost and schedule certainty with a standardised, factory-built approach,” says 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.”
“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,” adds Per Erik Holsten, president of ABB’s Energy Industries division. “Collaboration is also key – no single company or country alone can deliver the scale of energy expansion and energy transformation required to meet future demand. Partnerships along the energy value chain are instrumental for accelerating the commercialisation of modern, advanced nuclear technologies.”
At the heart of each SMR is a pressurised water reactor (PWR) using a similar technology to that already proven in hundreds of nuclear power plants worldwide. The SMR PWR is a symmetrically arranged, three-loop, close-coupled reactor that provides multiple layers of safety, redundancy and back-up systems.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says that SMRs can be a catalyst for change, if they are boosted by government support and new business models. Under current policies, the IEA predicts that the total global SMR capacity will reach 40GW by 2050, but with tailored government support for nuclear power, streamlined regulations for SMRs, and new designs, the capacity could reach 120GW.
Rolls-Royce SMR has started site-specific design and delivery activities for the UK’s first SMRs, initially comprising three reactors in North Wales. These will create thousands of jobs and boost local supply chains.
Rolls-Royce is also working with the Czech energy group ČEZ to deploy SMRs in Temelín – with potential for additional reactors in Tušimice and Dětmarovice. And the Swedish utility Videberg Kraft has recently chosen Rolls-Royce to deliver three SMRs for a project on Sweden’s Värö Peninsula.
Rolls-Royce SMR: LinkedIn
