Rolls-Royce SMR and Yokogawa Electric (Yokogawa) announce a strategic relationship with the intention of delivering data processing and control systems (DPCS) for the former's small modular reactor (SMR) programme.

This agreement covers the provision of control systems for the first units in a global fleet of Rolls-Royce SMRs.

The agreement brings one of the world's leading industrial automation specialists on board to develop and deliver the main control system for the Rolls-Royce SMR programme.

The scope includes design engineering, validation and qualification, product hardware, building and testing the system, installation and commissioning.

The project will be delivered and supported from Yokogawa's UK office and design facility in Runcorn, Cheshire, alongside work in the Czech and the Netherlands.

To support the project, Yokogawa has committed to make considerable investments - helping to secure jobs and strengthen the UK's nuclear supply chain.

Ruth Todd, Operations and Supply Chain Director at Rolls-Royce SMR, welcomed the announcement, saying: “This agreement to provide the power station's ‘central nervous system' marks another significant milestone as we accelerate towards delivering the first in a global fleet of Rolls-Royce SMRs. Furthermore, securing a world-class supplier is critical, and we're proud that a substantial portion of this work will be carried out in the UK and the Czech - creating jobs, developing skills, and driving growth in the regions where our first plants will be built.”

Koji Nakaoka, Executive Vice President & Executive Officer, Energy & Sustainability Business headquarters at Yokogawa Electric Corporation, added: “Yokogawa is proud to join forces with Rolls-Royce SMR on this pioneering initiative to co-innovate solutions that will shape the next generation of nuclear energy. As a proven, low-carbon source of baseload energy, nuclear power plays a vital role in achieving global decarbonisation goals. Backed by decades of expertise and a strong culture of partnership, we will deliver reliable, high-performance control systems to enable the safe, efficient, and sustainable deployment of nuclear power worldwide.”

Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected as the preferred bidder by Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE‑N) to build the UK's first SMRs, by European utility ČEZ to build up to 3 GW of new nuclear power in Czech and is one of only two companies to reach the final stage in Vattenfall's process to identify Sweden's nuclear technology partner. -TradeArabia News Service