According to CEZ's outlook for the Czech energy sector, future demand for electricity will not be fully met even by renewable sources combined with four new nuclear sources . After the decommissioning of coal-fired power plants , small modular reactors (SMRs) could serve as a suitable addition to the energy mix for the production of electricity, but also heat and hydrogen.
SMRs are smaller and more flexible nuclear sources, with the advantage that they can be mass-produced in factories and concentrated in one place in individual blocks. This also makes them economically competitive with large reactors.
"Small modular reactors are cheaper thanks to mass production. And the second thing is that we can build them faster. Building reactors costs a lot of money, which is always borrowed. So if a reactor is built a year or two faster, the cost of money has such a significant impact that a small modular reactor can compete with a large one," explained Ivo Kouklík, SMR project coordination manager at the CEZ Group, at Physics Thursday.
Štěpán Kochánek from the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) also recognizes that SMRs offer a number of benefits. "First and foremost, it is a source of energy, but it is also a technology that is new in its own way and brings social, scientific, and industrial development. At the same time, it should contribute to the gradual reduction of emissions as part of decarbonization," said Kochánek, who was the second speaker at Physics Thursday.
By presenting the perspective of the investor and implementer, CEZ, as well as that of the regulator, Physics Thursday offered a comprehensive view of the process that connects technology, safety, and state strategy.
SMR at Temelín
The first small modular reactor in Czechia is to be built next to the Temelín nuclear power plant in the mid-2030s. It will be built jointly by CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR. By 2050, CEZ wants to build SMRs with a total capacity of three gigawatts.
In addition to the existing Temelín nuclear power plant, CEZ has selected the sites of the existing Tušimice and Dětmarovice coal-fired power plants for the SMR program. These sites have access to raw water and existing infrastructure, the local residents are accustomed to industrial facilities, and there are skilled workers in the area. "It is not that difficult to retrain electricians from a coal-fired power plant to become electricians for a nuclear power plant," said Kouklík, adding that another indisputable advantage is that CEZ owns these sites and will not have to purchase additional land for construction.
Physics Thursday at FEE CTU is a popular series of lectures and seminars organized by the Department of Physics at FEE CTU for students, teachers, professionals, and the general public. At the end of each lecture, the audience has the opportunity to ask the speakers questions.
For university students interested in energy, CEZ organizes a week-long SMR Camp internship dedicated to small modular reactors, as well as summer universities at the Temelín and Dukovany nuclear power plants.
