The Czech Republic’s state-owned energy company, ČEZ, plans to build small modular reactors (SMRs) at several existing power plant locations, including Temelin, Tuscany, Prunerov, Ledvice, Porici, Detmarovice, and Dukovany. The first SMR is expected to be operational by 2032 at Temelin, with no cost estimate currently available.

Silvana Jirotkova, the director of the ČEZ unit that is developing SMRs, stated that the Czech Republic would face resource shortages in 2050 due to growing energy demands. Consequently, the company plans to replace end-of-life coal-fired plants with SMRs to support the country’s shift toward emission-free policies.

Jirotkova also cited northern Bohemia and northern Moravia, where there is significant industrial production and central heat supplies, as ideal locations for SMRs.

The company aims to decide on the technology for the first SMR this year and next, working with seven firms developing this technology. The Czech government and ČEZ believe that nuclear power is necessary as the country shifts away from coal.

The SMRs that ČEZ plans to build are almost as large as the units at Dukovany, according to CEO Daniel Beneš. However, they are quicker and easier to construct than traditional atomic reactors.

The construction costs of the world’s pilot project for the NuScale modular reactors, which the Carbon Free Power Project is preparing, have risen significantly. The cost of the project, which will include six NuScale reactors with a total capacity of 462 MW, has now reached $9.3 billion (about CZK 205 billion).

The International Atomic Energy Agency defines an SMR as a nuclear power plant with a maximum electric capacity of 300 MW. However, ČEZ claims that SMRs are faster and easier to build than large-scale atomic reactors.

In conclusion, the Czech Republic’s ČEZ is planning to develop SMRs in several existing power plant locations to replace aging coal-fired plants and support the country’s shift toward emission-free policies. Although the costs of the first SMR in Temelin are unknown, the company hopes to have it operational by 2032, with northern Bohemia and Moravia identified as ideal locations for further SMR developments.

Article by Prague Forum