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Released October 01, 2024 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Rolls-Royce (London, England) has beaten rivals to secure a win for its small modular reactor (SMR) with the Czech Republic.
The company's proposed SMR, a 470-megawatt (MW) design based on a small pressurized water reactor, has been selected as the preferred supplier for the country's proposed SMR plans against offerings from France, the U.S. and Japan. The company also confirmed that it expects similar deals to be struck with Sweden and the Netherlands before the end of the year. According to the Czech Ministry for Industry and Trade, it assessed information from seven bidders who were approached based on their potential suitability for a location in the Czech Republic. It now intends to establish a strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR, subject to a "successful security assessment of the U.K. company, similar to the one carried out for bidders for the construction of large nuclear units". The deal will be overseen by the country's state-owned energy company, CEZ Group (Prague).
Announcing the win, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said: "Small modular reactors can be a key technology for ensuring our future energy security. That's why we have, from the beginning, been working towards not only building them, but also towards participating in their global development and production. The strategic partnership between ČEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR will be a great opportunity for Czech companies, with their long-standing experience in the nuclear industry."
Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive Officer Chris Cholerton added: "This decision, to select Rolls-Royce SMR from a list of seven potential SMR technology providers, follows a rigorous evaluation process by ČEZ Group. Discussions are ongoing to finalize contract terms and the final agreements are subject to customary regulatory clearances. The...partnership further strengthens Rolls-Royce SMR's position as Europe's leading SMR technology."
Rolls-Royce has a clear lead so far in the U.K. where, this summer, its SMR technology progressed to Step 3--the final step--of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process used to evaluate and permit all nuclear power-related technologies. Its nearest rival, U.S. company Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) has just progressed to Step 2 of the GDA process, putting it more than a year behind. In recent weeks Holtec, like Rolls-Royce, has opted for South Yorkshire as the general location for its first U.K. SMR plant. The companies and four others were shortlisted to compete in the government's first SMR auction last October. This was expected to be whittled down to three or four, but a decision on SMR rollout was delayed and there has also been a change in government. The U.K. wants to grow nuclear energy capacity to 24 gigawatts (GW) by 2050, with a mix of traditional large-scale power plants and SMRs. For additional information, see October 17, 2023, article - Six Companies in Race for U.K. Mini-Nuclear Contracts.
There are calls on the new Labour government to speed up the selection process for the nation's first SMR project. Speaking to The Mail on Sunday newspaper, Rolls-Royce spokesman Dan Gould said: 'We'd like to see the Government make a decision by the end of the year. There has been a change of Government and it is looking at the best options. There is a first mover advantage to this technology and we shouldn't let others catch up."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The company's proposed SMR, a 470-megawatt (MW) design based on a small pressurized water reactor, has been selected as the preferred supplier for the country's proposed SMR plans against offerings from France, the U.S. and Japan. The company also confirmed that it expects similar deals to be struck with Sweden and the Netherlands before the end of the year. According to the Czech Ministry for Industry and Trade, it assessed information from seven bidders who were approached based on their potential suitability for a location in the Czech Republic. It now intends to establish a strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR, subject to a "successful security assessment of the U.K. company, similar to the one carried out for bidders for the construction of large nuclear units". The deal will be overseen by the country's state-owned energy company, CEZ Group (Prague).
Announcing the win, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said: "Small modular reactors can be a key technology for ensuring our future energy security. That's why we have, from the beginning, been working towards not only building them, but also towards participating in their global development and production. The strategic partnership between ČEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR will be a great opportunity for Czech companies, with their long-standing experience in the nuclear industry."
Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive Officer Chris Cholerton added: "This decision, to select Rolls-Royce SMR from a list of seven potential SMR technology providers, follows a rigorous evaluation process by ČEZ Group. Discussions are ongoing to finalize contract terms and the final agreements are subject to customary regulatory clearances. The...partnership further strengthens Rolls-Royce SMR's position as Europe's leading SMR technology."
Rolls-Royce has a clear lead so far in the U.K. where, this summer, its SMR technology progressed to Step 3--the final step--of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process used to evaluate and permit all nuclear power-related technologies. Its nearest rival, U.S. company Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) has just progressed to Step 2 of the GDA process, putting it more than a year behind. In recent weeks Holtec, like Rolls-Royce, has opted for South Yorkshire as the general location for its first U.K. SMR plant. The companies and four others were shortlisted to compete in the government's first SMR auction last October. This was expected to be whittled down to three or four, but a decision on SMR rollout was delayed and there has also been a change in government. The U.K. wants to grow nuclear energy capacity to 24 gigawatts (GW) by 2050, with a mix of traditional large-scale power plants and SMRs. For additional information, see October 17, 2023, article - Six Companies in Race for U.K. Mini-Nuclear Contracts.
There are calls on the new Labour government to speed up the selection process for the nation's first SMR project. Speaking to The Mail on Sunday newspaper, Rolls-Royce spokesman Dan Gould said: 'We'd like to see the Government make a decision by the end of the year. There has been a change of Government and it is looking at the best options. There is a first mover advantage to this technology and we shouldn't let others catch up."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
