The Prime Ministers of Great Britain and the Czech Republic signed a memorandum on nuclear energy
British Prime Ministers Keir Starmer and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of nuclear energy in London on Monday, under which, in particular, the British company Rolls-Royce SMR is considering the construction of a plant for the production of small modular reactors (MMR) in the Czech Republic, the CTK news agency reported on Monday, citing the Czech Prime Minister..
“The British government, like the Czech government, considers nuclear energy as an important element of the transition to low-carbon energy and ensuring its energy security. In addition to building traditional power units, both governments are supporting the development of MMRs, which are expected to be cheaper, faster to build, and suitable for decentralized energy. In this regard, the establishment of an MMR production plant in the Czech Republic, the project of which is being considered by Rolls-Royce SMR, is becoming important,” the report says.
A significant step forward in the development of Czech-British cooperation was the recent entry of the Czech semi-state energy holding company CEZ into Rolls-Royce SMR, specializing in the development of modular nuclear reactors, that is, smaller reactors assembled from mass-produced modules. The strategic partnership stipulates that CEZ will own approximately one fifth of the Rolls-Royce SMR, and the two companies will work closely together in the development and further implementation of this nuclear technology. Investments in the amount of several hundred million euros have already been approved by the British regulatory authorities, CTK notes.
The UK authorities have chosen Rolls-Royce SMR as the supplier of the MMR, which is expected to invest 2.5 billion pounds in the construction. In turn, the CEZ holding, in cooperation with Rolls-Royce SMR, plans to build modular reactors with a total capacity of three gigawatts in the Czech Republic by 2050. According to Fiala, with the entry of CEZ into Rolls-Royce SMR, the Czech Republic gets the opportunity to participate in the development and potentially global distribution of small modular reactors.
“The participants strive to maintain the synergy of their strategies in the field of civil nuclear energy. This may include information exchange to support the construction of civil nuclear projects in the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. The participants could consider cooperation in the field of technology, fuel cycle, decommissioning and radioactive waste management, as well as cooperation in the field of regulation,” the memorandum signed by the prime ministers on Monday quotes CTK.
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