Rolls-Royce SMR advances plans at two more Czech sites

Rolls-Royce SMR has announced that an MoU has been signed with energy company ČEZ and the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade to allow site preparation to begin at two planned SMR sites.

The agreement will allow preparatory work to begin at the Tušimice site in the Ústí nad Labem region and Dětmarovice site in the Moravian-Silesian region.

Rolls-Royce SMR and ČEZ are already working to deliver the first SMR at the Temelín site in the South Bohemian Region.

The plan is to deploy up to 3GW of Rolls-Royce SMR capacity in Czechia.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Industry and Trade, Karel Havlíček, affirmed in a statement that SMRs are a critical part of the Czech Republic’s energy.

Said Havlíček: “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."

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Havlíček continued: “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.”

Tomáš Pleskač, member of the ČEZ Board of Directors, said he believes these projects will help develop the local supply chain and will be able to leverage regional skills and knowledge.

“Small modular reactors are a global opportunity for Czech industry. Our traditional nuclear companies have a long history and unique know-how, which they can further deepen through their participation in the small modular reactor project.

“We have already recorded the first successes: the Plzeň-based nuclear company Škoda JS has become one of the two suppliers of key nuclear-island components for the Rolls-Royce SMR. And I believe this is just the beginning. The British company is only just starting to build out its supply chain, and even at this stage we are seeing considerable interest from Czech firms keen on securing their position in the global marketplace.”

Rolls-Royce on a roll

Rolls-Royce SMR is currently working to deploy three units in the UK with the potential to expand to six. The two-stage contract was signed with Great British Energy in April this year to enable site-specific design activity and preparations to begin at the Wylfa site.

Great British Energy-Nuclear chief executive Simon Roddy said the pact was “a landmark moment for the nuclear industry” which he added would bring “a significant long-term investment to the UK industrial supply chain”.

The company also has launched a programme to deploy three units in Sweden. These will be the country’s first new nuclear power plants in more than 40 years and will add 1,500MWe of baseload electricity. Swedish nuclear developer Videberg Kraft will be building the three SMRs at the Videberg site on the Värö peninsula on Sweden’s west coast.