Czech power company ČEZ signs deal with Rolls-Royce SMR to prepare for first small nuclear reactor
PRAGUE– Czech power company ČEZ on Friday signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce SMR for the British company’s preparatory work for the construction of the first small modular nuclear reactor in the Czech Republic.
ČEZ General Director Daniel Beneš said the work includes the project plan and permitting documents necessary for issuing construction permits for the reactor.
Beneš said the company hopes to obtain all permits by 2030. The small nuclear reactor will be built on the site of the existing Temelín nuclear power plant.
On April 13, Great Britain Energy – Nuclear, a government agency, signed a contract with Rolls-Royce SMR to begin design work on the United Kingdom’s first small nuclear reactors.
Beneš said the small Czech nuclear reactor will be the second built by the British company after the completion of the first in the United Kingdom.
ČEZ owns a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR and the companies have signed an agreement regarding a strategic partnership, which is expected to result in the installation of energy sources of up to 3 gigawatts in the Czech Republic.
The Czech state owns almost 70% of ČEZ’s capital and the government is taking steps to gain full control of the company.
Small modular reactors are a type of nuclear reactor that can generate a lower amount of energy than a traditional reactor. Developers say small reactors will be built faster and more cheaply than large power reactors, tailoring to the needs of a particular location.
