ČEZ Energy Group has acquired a significant stake in Rolls-Royce SMR, a British company, with regulatory approval to purchase approximately 20 % of the shares. While Rolls-Royce is widely recognized for its luxury automobile brand, it's important to note that its core business is manufacturing turbines and aircraft engines. The partnership involves collaboration on the development of small modular nuclear reactors.

The first such reactor in the Czech Republic is planned for the Temelín nuclear power plant in the early 2030s. This collaboration, initiated last October, involves ČEZ in both these reactors' development and global production, going beyond mere procurement.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala has emphasized the importance of small modular reactors (SMRs) for enhancing the country's energy security and self-reliance. The Rolls-Royce SMR design is a pressurized water reactor incorporating both active and passive safety systems, with an electrical output of 470 megawatts and an expected operational lifespan of at least 60 years. This output is roughly equivalent to half that of a single Temelín unit.

ČEZ aims to build modular reactors totalling three gigawatts by 2050, primarily for heat supply, potentially at sites like Prunéřov or Dětmarovice. These modular reactors can be mass-produced and assembled on-site, differing from large reactors in lower output and faster construction. ČEZ is also planning larger reactors in Dukovany, while the Czech Republic currently operates six nuclear units across two power plants.

The strategic partnership between ČEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR not only bolsters the development of small modular reactors but also underscores the potential for British businesses to drive global innovation and economic growth in the nuclear energy sector.

Source: Novinky,.cz; Forbes

Prepared by the CzechTrade London team