Several companies have been approached in the tender for SMR cooperation, but Czech Republic sought not just to purchase small modular reactors, but be part of their development. Rolls-Royce SMR won the selection thanks to its expertise and suitability for local reactor sites. Before the partnership becomes official, the state will carry out a safety assessment of British company.

SMRs are attracting significant attention globally as markets seek solutions on their path to Net Zero. Transitioning to clean energy became one of the main goals for many countries. SMRs are innovative technology, that will be able to provide both electricity and heat to companies and citizens, replacing coal-fired power plants. By 2050 CEZ is planning on building SMRs with a cumulative output of three gigawatts. The current Czech conventional power plants in Dukovany and Temelin have a capacity of about two gigawatts each.

This strategic partnership will modernize the Czech energy sector and open up new opportunities for domestic industry. Czech companies will get an opportunity to stand at the beginning of global supply chain and contribute to the development of this promising technology. The first small modular reactor in Czech Republic could be constructed on the site of the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant in the first half of the 1930s. Its electrical output should be 470 megawatts, and the lifetime is expected to be at least sixty years.

Prepared by foreign office CzechTrade Soul
Source: Forbes.cz