The Czech Republic’s ČEZ and Canada’s Ontario Power Generation (OPG) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on “deployment of nuclear technology including small modular reactors (SMRs) to safely produce clean, reliable electricity in their jurisdictions”.

Under the MoU the two companies will share information relating to the deployment of new nuclear projects with the goal of reducing “financial, technical and schedule risk to both parties in the respective future projects”.

OPG is planning to deploy an SMR at its Darlington site, and the company recently announced a contract with ES Fox to proceed with early site work, pending permits and regulatory approvals, with the aim of the SMR being operational by the end of this decade.

OPG President and CEO Ken Hartwick said: “Working together with entities like ČEZ, we can leverage our combined experience to develop and build the new technology needed to power the future and meet decarbonisation goals.”

ČEZ has plans for three new nuclear units in the Czech Republic, and earlier this year said it had allocated space at its Temelin nuclear power plant as a possible site for the country’s first SMR.

Tomáš Pleskac, a member of ČEZ’s board of directors and its Chief Renewables and Development Officer, said: “As a company, we are focused on developing new energy solutions and technologies. We are preparing for the construction of a new nuclear unit in Dukovany and the upcoming allocation of space at Temelín, where the first SMR could be built in the first half of the next decade. The collaboration with OPG is therefore, for us, a logical step forward.”

Ontario’s Energy Minister Todd Smith said: “Ontario is proud to lead the way on clean nuclear technologies. With our robust nuclear supply chain and talented workforce, we are ready to support the global deployment of our nuclear expertise that will help reduce emissions while delivering energy security to the world.”

When ČEZ launched its South Bohemia Nuclear Park site at Temelin for its proposed SMR earlier this year, it said it had existing memoranda of cooperation with NuScale, GE-Hitachi, Rolls-Royce, EDF, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, and Holtec.

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