In addition to the preparation of the Dukovany nuclear unit, the ČEZ energy company is also working to start building small modular reactors (SMRs) around 2040. This was stated by Tomáš Pleskač, a member of the company’s Board of Directors, at today’s conference on new nuclear sources in Prague.
“It’s not just about what’s going on in Dukovany. We are currently working on small modular reactors and to be able to start building these small modular reactors sometime around 2040. Although in the case of some of the connections small modular only the modular one is valid, the small one is definitely not valid, “Pleskač said today.
Today’s presentation shows that ČEZ is preparing to build these reactors with a total output of over 1,000 megawatts (MW). The installed capacity of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant is now 2,040 MW, and the planned new unit of the power plant should have an output of 1,200 MW.
The year before, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (YES) described smaller nuclear power sources as the optimal solution for the construction of new nuclear power units in the Czech Republic. However, some experts point out that these devices are still being developed around the world, and practical experience with their operation is almost lacking. The State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) stated in April this year that only one reactor of this type is currently in commercial use worldwide.
“The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) published a comprehensive global overview of SMR projects in 2020. Of the more than 70 projects, only one has been implemented and is in commercial use (KLT-40S – Russia), two projects have the character of research projects (HTR-10 in China and HTTR in Japan) and two projects are in the implementation phase (CAREM in Argentina and HTR-PM in China), “said SÚJB.
CEZ has previously stated that small modular reactors could be a complement to the planned large nuclear unit to be built in Dukovany in the future. At the beginning of last year, the company announced that it had approached a total of 11 companies with a request to share detailed technical information on the possible construction of SMR in the Czech Republic. In addition to American companies, these were also companies from China, Britain, Russia, France, South Korea and Argentina.
