Europe’s first Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is set to be built in the Czech Republic. The mini nuclear power plant aims to make the country less reliant on electricity imports and replace coal and heating power plants. The government of the South Bohemian region in the Czech Republic has announced plans to build an SMR nuclear power plant with energy company ?EZ in the first half of the next decade. The mini nuclear power plant will be located in the newly established South Bohemian Nuclear Park at the Temelín nuclear power plant. ?EZ, which also operates the Temelín nuclear power plant, has been working with GE Hitachi since 2020 to develop the necessary technology. The pilot project will be operated by ?EZ subsidiary ÚJV.
The local government of South Bohemia has stated that work on the project will be accelerated due to the energy crisis in Europe. The SMR will be located in the South Bohemian Nuclear Park, which will provide synergy effects in planning, construction, and operation, as the required personnel are already on-site. Estonia has also announced plans to build an SMR, with a capacity of under 300 megawatts (MW). Mini nuclear power plants are also being built in China and Argentina, but none are currently in operation worldwide. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has stated that the country will rely more on nuclear power in the future. In addition to the SMR, two conventional reactors will be built in the South Bohemian Nuclear Park, and ?EZ is also working on another reactor.
The goal of small nuclear power plants is to achieve greater independence from electricity imports and replace some coal and heating power plants. However, the German Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal (BASE) has criticized the SMR technology, stating that thousands to tens of thousands of nuclear power plants of this type would be needed to provide the required electrical power. Questions about safety, decommissioning, and interim and final storage are also still unanswered. A study by Stanford University has also raised concerns about small nuclear reactors, as they produce significantly more nuclear waste in relation to heat generation. Despite these concerns, the Czech Republic is moving forward with plans to build Europe’s first SMR.
