Rolls-Royce SMR, ČEZ begin site work for Czech SMR

Rolls-Royce SMR and ČEZ signed an early works agreement last week to initiate site work at the Temelin Nuclear Power Station in the Czech Republic.

Rolls Royce SMR, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Holdings, and ČEZ, a Czech utility, plan to deploy a small modular reactor at the Temelin site. Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the preferred small modular reactor technology for CEZ’s plan to provide up to 3,000 megawatts of low-carbon energy for the Czech Republic.

CEZ also agreed to take a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR last year as part of its strategic partnership.

Under the agreement, Rolls Royce SMR and ČEZ will begin site specific work at the current Temelin nuclear plant, operated by ČEZ. According to Rolls-Royce SMR’s July 17 press release, the early tasks include site preparation, regulatory sues and an environmental assessment.

A Rolls-Royce SMR is a water pressurized reactor designed to produce 470 megawatts. Rolls-Royce SMR is in its final stage of assessment by United Kingdom nuclear regulators.

The two companies expect the first SMR at the Czech site of Temelin to be built by the mid-2030s.