Prime Minister Petr Fiala told journalists that the government took note of the information from CEZ at its meeting on 18 September. According to Fiala, the cooperation opens the possibility for Czech companies to participate in the development of this type of nuclear power sources and to join the global supply chain.

According to Fiala, the Czech Republic is not interested in buying ready-made small modular reactors, but wants to participate in their production on a global scale. According to him, the strategic partnership between CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR will make this possible.

"Rolls-Royce is still establishing its international supply chain. The Czech Republic and Czech companies can be at the birth of the supply chain and participate in its creation to the maximum extent possible," the Prime Minister said.

Fiala described the construction of small modular reactors as an important development of the Czech energy sector, which will contribute to increased energy security and self-sufficiency. According to the Prime Minister, the first modular reactor in the Czech Republic could be built on the site of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant in the first half of the 2030s.

CEZ announced in the first half of September that it would select a partner for the development and operation of modular reactors in the Czech Republic by the end of this year. The decision was between Westinghouse, GE Hitachi and Rolls-Royce SMR. He was not only looking for a technology supplier, but also for a partner with which to develop small modular reactors.

According to CEZ, the small modular reactor from Rolls-Royce SMR is a pressurised water reactor that uses both active and passive safety features. Its electrical output is expected to be 470 megawatts, and the reactor's lifetime is expected to be at least sixty years.

CEZ plans to build modular reactors with a combined capacity of three gigawatts by 2050. The current Czech conventional power plants at Dukovany and Temelin have a capacity of about two gigawatts each. According to ČEZ's earlier statement, the modular reactors would be used primarily for heat supply and would be built on the site of existing coal-fired power plants, for example in Prunéřov or Dětmarovice.

The modular reactors can be produced in series in factories and more of them can be concentrated in one place, one unit at a time. According to nuclear power experts, they differ from large nuclear units mainly in their lower power output and also in their faster and simpler construction. Conversely, operations could be similar.

In late August, the state signed a safety contract with CEZ for the development of small and medium-sized modular reactors. The agreement is intended to ensure the state's security interests in selecting a future partner for the development and construction of such reactors in the Czech Republic. For example, CEZ will inform the state about the selection of the supplier.

Prepared by foreign office CzechTrade Romania
Source: Forbes.cz