The Czech power company, CEZ, said it has declared a strategic partnership with Britain’s Rolls-Royce SMR for the development and deployment of small modular nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic, pushing the country closer to achieving energy security and more nuclear capability.
According to the contract, CEZ will be a shareholder with a 20% stake in the company Rolls-Royce SMR, having invested at least in the range of several billion Czech crowns which is hundreds of millions of euros. This cooperation should make it possible to construct the first small modular reactor at the site of the existing Temelin nuclear power plant, and the first deployment is expected to take place in the early 2030s.
Energy output from this scheme is going to be about 3 GW in a number of different projects around the Czech Republic, and CEZ has also announced that it is going to participate in other SMR-led international schemes. According to the information provided by CEZ, a power plant designed using SMR technology will produce around 470 MW over its life time of 60 years.
Czech Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, says he feels this agreement badly needed and also further added that this moment will ensure the energy security of Czech Republic at all times of requirement. The country now survives on six nuclear reactors with over one-third of its electricity.
The use of coal is set to end by 2033, as it aligns with plans to reduce carbon emissions. Integration of SMRs into the energy mix will be thought of as the very next step in this strategy while further facilitating the country to achieve goals of increasing energy independence besides promoting sustainable practices.
Small modular reactors can be the more flexible and potentially economical alternatives to traditional large-scale nuclear reactors. They are built much more quickly, can be designed for specific energy requirements, and therefore are an attractive option for regions wishing to expand their energy infrastructure as efficiently as possible.
In addition to this contract, by the end of March it is expected that CEZ will finalize a second deal with South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) regarding the building of at least two extra nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic. Together, such a step by CEZ to advance nuclear capability points towards the modernization of the country’s energy regime within the bounds of its environmental agenda.
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