During their recent trip to the Czech Republic, the Rolls-Royce representatives, joined by the UK trade minister Greg Hands, also visited Skoda JS and Doosan Skoda Power in Pilsen. The Czech Republic has plans for the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs). In March 2022, CEZ energy utility said that it had earmarked an area of land at its Temelín site to be used in the future for the construction of the country's first SMR. CEZ has already signed MoUs regarding SMR deployment with NuScale, GE Hitachi, Rolls-Royce, EDF, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Holtec, and has also held discussions with Westinghouse.
Minister Hands said that the discussion with Rolls-Royce executives could "lead to exciting opportunities". Rolls-Royce can use the skills and expertise of Czech companies in the field of nuclear power plants. The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurised water reactor. The first SMR of this type is expected to go online in the UK by the end of the decade.
-tk-
