Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected as the preferred supplier for the development and construction of a number of small modular reactors (SMRs) by the Czech government from a shortlist of seven companies. The exact number of SMRs due to be delivered will be announced in the next few weeks.

The seven bidding companies were:

  • AP300 (Westinghouse, USA 330 MWe)
  • BWRX-300 (GE / Hitachi, USA, 300 MWe)
  • iSMART (KHNP, S. Korea, 4 x 170 MWe)
  • NUWARD (EDF, France, 2 x 170 MWe)
  • RR SMR (Rolls-Royce, UK, 470 MWe)
  • SMR-300 (Holtec, USA, 300 MWe)
  • VOYGR-6 (NuScale, USA, 12 x 924 MWe modules)

The Czech Ministry of Trade & Industry (MPO – Ministerstvo Průmyslu a Obchodu) said it had informed the government that state power company ČEZ Group “wants to cooperate with Rolls-Royce SMR on the development and construction of SMRs and to enter into a strategic partnership with the company.” Prime Minister Petr Fiala said: “The strategic partnership between ČEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR will be a great opportunity for Czech companies, with their long-standing experience in the nuclear industry.”

ČEZ assessed information from seven bidders who were approached based on their potential suitability for a location in the Czech Republic. “This process resulted in Rolls-Royce SMR being identified as the preferred candidate,” MPO noted. “ČEZ intends to establish a strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR, subject to a successful security assessment of the UK company, similar to the one carried out for bidders for the construction of large nuclear units.”

Minister of Industry & Trade Jozef Síkela said the technology “can not only provide sufficient electricity at affordable prices, but also support our efforts to decarbonise and safely transition to clean energy sources”. He added: “This cooperation presents a great opportunity for Czech industry. Our companies can be part of the global supply chain from the very beginning and contribute to the development of this promising technology.”

“The strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR will allow us to make use of our long-standing experience in the field of nuclear power and the high technological maturity of the British company,” said ČEZ CEO Daniel Beneš, adding that ČEZ would now negotiate the specific form of cooperation with its counterpart.

ČEZ Group plans to build its first modular reactor near the Temelín NPP in South Bohemia. It should be built in the first half of the 2030s before the launch of the new large Czech nuclear unit, which is planned for 2040. The South Bohemian Region and ČEZ Group’s subsidiary ÚJV Řež are also involved in the preparations.

The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from four VVER-440 units at Dukovany NPP, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two VVER-1000 units at Temelín NPP, which began operation in 2000 and 2002. In July, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) was named the preferred bidder for up to four new units at Dukovany with the target of the first unit entering commercial operation in 2038.

Meanwhile, ČEZ is also exploring other locations that may be suitable for SMRs. These include the sites in Tušimice and Dětmarovice. Both are currently undergoing intensive exploration and monitoring works in order to establish their suitability as a location for a nuclear power source. The Czech SMR roadmap, approved in 2023, sets out options for technology suppliers and listed 45 potential sites as well as investor models. Its vision is for “SMRs to complement large nuclear units from 2030s-40s onwards”.

The selection of Rolls-Royce follows a Joint Declaration of Cooperation signed in 2023 by Síkela and the former UK Energy Security Minister Andrew Bowie, which aimed to promote cooperation between the two countries in this area and to involve Czech companies in the supply chains of this technology.

In August 2024, MPO concluded a contract with ČEZ to ensure the protection of the Czech Republic’s security interests, which will ensure that the selection of the supplier and the construction of the NPP will be carried out in accordance with the Government’s security requirements. MPO will work with the Ministry of Interior, the Security Information Service, the Office of the National Intelligence Service, the Military Intelligence Service and other key institutions to evaluate security aspects in accordance with the Low Carbon Law.

Rolls-Royce SMR CEO, Chris Cholerton welcomed the decision. “Discussions are ongoing to finalise contract terms and the final agreements are subject to customary regulatory clearances. Details of the agreement will be published at signing,” he said. “This important strategic partnership further strengthens Rolls-Royce SMR’s position as Europe’s leading SMR technology, and will put CEZ, Rolls-Royce SMR and its existing shareholders at the forefront of SMR deployment.”

Rolls-Royce SMR’s is also one of five companies shortlisted by the UK government’s arms-length Great British Nuclear body for deployment of SMRs in the UK. The other companies are GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International, Holtec Britain, NuScale Power, and Westinghouse Electric Company UK.

The technologies selected all depend to a large extent on traditional nuclear technology. The 470 MWe Rolls-Royce SMR design is based on a small, pressurised water reactor (PWR). The design was accepted for UK Generic Design Assessment review in March 2022 and Rolls-Royce SMR expects to receive UK regulatory approval in 2024.

In July, the Nuclear Industry Association applied to the UK government for a justification decision for Rolls-Royce SMR’s SMR, a decision required for the operation of a new nuclear technology in the country. It marks the first ever application for justification of a UK reactor design. If Rolls-Royce is successful in the UK’s SMR selection contest, the aim is for a final investment decision to be taken in the UK in 2029.

A Rolls-Royce-led UK SMR consortium aims to build 16 SMRs. The consortium – which includes Assystem, Atkins, BAM Nuttall, Jacobs, Laing O’Rourke, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and TWI – expects to complete its first unit in the early 2030s and build up to 10 by 2035. Following the Czech announcement, almost £2.5bn ($3.3bn) was added to the market value of Rolls-Royce.

Researched and written by Judith Perera