MOU supports Prague’s ambitions to develop fleet of nuclear plants
Rolls-Royce SMR, Czech state power company ČEZ and the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade have entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable site preparation activities at two additional sites, supporting plans to deploy up to 3 GW of small modular reactor (SMR) capacity in the Czech Republic.
Rolls-Royce SMR, a unit of Briths engineering giant Rolls-Royce, and ČEZ are already working to deliver the first SMR at the Temelín site in the South Bohemian region in the southwest of the country.
Today’s MOU signing enables preparatory work to begin at the Tušimice site in the Ústí nad Labem region in the north and the Dětmarovice site in the east of the country.
Rolls-Royce SMR said the agreement supports the Czech Republic’s ambition to develop a fleet of SMRs and sets the businesses on the path to achieving the targeted 3 GW of power from Rolls-Royce SMR units in the country.
The Czech Republic’s first deputy prime minister and minister for industry and trade, Karel Havlíček, said nuclear energy is a key pillar of the Czech Republic’s stable and secure energy future, and SMRs 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.
“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.”
Rolls-Royce SMR chief executive officer Chris Cholerton said: “We are excited to be working across three sites, which gives us a route to delivering at least six Rolls-Royce SMRs, as we lay the foundations for 3GW of clean, secure electricity in the Czech Republic.”
He added: “This agreement builds on the strong momentum of our partnership with ČEZ and takes us another step closer to fleet deployment in one of Europe's most important SMR markets.”
Rolls-Royce SMR said it is building momentum and unlocking fleet deployment programmes. It is deploying three units in the UK with the potential for six, with a launch programme of three units in Sweden and now a pathway to six units in the Czech Republic.
