Small modular reactors aim for global criticality

Yokogawa will deliver data processing and control systems for Rolls-Royce SMRs

Feb. 10, 2026

3 min read

Key Highlights

Yokogawa Electric will provide the "central nervous system" for Rolls-Royce’s global fleet of small modular reactors, handling everything from design and hardware to installation and commissioning.
The push for SMR technology is being driven by a global surge in energy demand, specifically fueled by the rapid growth of data centers and artificial intelligence.
Backed by investors like Constellation Energy and ČEZ Group, Rolls-Royce SMR has already secured preferred bidder status for major projects in the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Sweden.

concept of a SMR small modular nuclear reactor power plant on a sunny day. SMR is a future energy concept. 3d rendering.

Yokogawa Electric has entered a strategic relationship with Rolls-Royce SMR to deliver a data processing and control system (DPCS) for its small modular reactor (SMR) program. The agreement covers the provision of control systems for the first units in a global fleet of Rolls-Royce SMRs. Rolls-Royce SMR is a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce whose investors include U.S.-based Constellation Energy and the Czech utility ČEZ Group.

While more than 70 SMR projects exist at various stages globally, most of them in North America and Europe, the only operational SMRs are in China and Russia, according to data from the World Nuclear Association’s tracker.

The surge in energy demand, due in part to an increase in the number of data centers and the interest in artificial intelligence, has incited companies to investigate alternative energy supplies, which include small modular reactors, which can generate around 300 MW per module (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Small modular reactors, which can generate around 300 MW per module.

The SMR & Advanced Reactor 2026 conference, hosted by Reuters Events, will take place May 11-12 in Austin, Texas.

The scope of the agreement between Yokogawa Electric and Rolls-Royce SMR 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 U.K. office and design facility, alongside work in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

Figure 2: Ruth Todd (left), Rolls-Royce SMR operations and supply chain director, and Koji Nakaoka, Yokogawa Electric executive vice president and executive officer, energy and sustainability business headquarters.

“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,” said Ruth Todd, operations and supply chain director at Rolls-Royce SMR (Figure 2). “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 United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, creating jobs, developing skills and driving growth in the regions where our first plants will be built.”

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Koji Nakaoka, executive vice president and executive officer, energy and sustainability business headquarters at Yokogawa Electric, 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 decarbonization 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 United Kingdom’s first SMRs, by European utility ČEZ to build up to three GW of nuclear power in the Czech Republic and is one of two companies to reach the final stage in Vattenfall’s process to identify Sweden’s nuclear technology partner.

GBE-N has announced that Wylfa on Ynys Mon was selected as the site for the United Kingdom's first SMRs, delivering up to 1.5 GW of low-carbon energy to the grid, supporting the United Kingdom's net-zero goals and creating significant economic benefit with 8,000 long-term jobs across the United Kingdom.

In October 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR announced a partnership with ČEZ to deploy up to 3 GW of electricity in the Czech Republic using Rolls-Royce SMR power plants.

About the Author

Mike Bacidore

Editor in Chief

Mike Bacidore is chief editor of Control Design and has been an integral part of the Endeavor Business Media editorial team since 2007. Previously, he was editorial director at Hughes Communications and a portfolio manager of the human resources and labor law areas at Wolters Kluwer. Bacidore holds a BA from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He is an award-winning columnist, earning multiple regional and national awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. He may be reached at [email protected]