Czech Republic Advances SMR Power Rollout at Two More Sites

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

Summary

The Czech Republic continues its drive to be one of the most active markets for emerging small modular reactor (SMR) technology by earmarking two more sites for new plants.

More Sites

The Czech Republic has added two more sites for proposed small modular reactor (SMR) plants in a deal with the U.K.'s Rolls-Royce SMR. 

The government is determined to be a leading nation in the development and rollout of SMRs and is the second most active market in Europe after Sweden. The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, state-owned power company ČEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR have signed a memorandum of understanding to begin preparatory activities for SMR plants at Tušimice and Dětmarovice. According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 46 SMR projects in Europe - seven of them located in the Czech Republic - worth a potential US$152 billion in investment. ČEZ and Rolls-Royce have already agreed to work on building the country's first SMR near the Temelin nuclear power plant in the mid 2030s. 

Nuclear Power for Energy Security

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček said: "Nuclear energy is a key pillar of the Czech Republic's stable and secure energy future, and small modular reactors will be an important part of it. We plan to build the first such reactor at the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, while at the same time preparing additional sites, for example in the Moravian-Silesian and Ústí regions. At the same time, this represents a technological opportunity of global significance for Czech industry. Without a sufficient supply of our own reliable energy sources, it is impossible to guarantee the country's long-term energy security and economic stability."

The New Projects

The deal enables preparatory work to begin at the Tušimice site in the Ústí nad Labem region and Dětmarovice site in the Moravian-Silesian region. Both projects will use the 470-megawatt (MW) Rolls-Royce SMR design based on a small pressurized water reactor. It is designed to provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years. Measuring roughly 16 by 4 meters, 90% of the SMR will be constructed and tested in factory conditions before the modules are transported to site for final assembly. The Tušimice project is for a 1,500-MW plant to be built at the site of a former coal-fired plant while the smaller 500-MW Dětmarovice project will also be constructed at a former coal-fired plant.

Czech Republic's SMR Plans

ČEZ chose Rolls-Royce SMR in late 2024 to deploy up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of SMR projects. It also took a 20% stake in the company. The first project will be delivered at Temelin, home to an existing nuclear power station powered by Russian-made VVER-1000 units. Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce SMR's chief executive officer, said: "We are excited to be working across three sites, which gives us a route to delivering at least six Rolls-Royce SMRs, as we lay the foundations for 3 GW of clean, secure electricity in Czechia. This agreement builds on the strong momentum of our partnership with ČEZ and takes us another step closer to fleet deployment in one of Europe's most important SMR markets."

Key Takeaways

• The Czech Republic has signed off on two more sites for proposed small modular reactor (SMR) plants with the U.K.'s Rolls-Royce SMR. 
• According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 46 SMR projects in Europe worth a potential US$151 billion in investment.
• There are seven proposed SMR projects in the Czech Republic.

About Industrial Info Resources
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