Temelín SMR

Executive Summary Temelín SMR is a planned small modular reactor deployment adjacent to the existing Temelín Nuclear Power Station in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic — the country's largest power plant and one of Central Europe's most significant nuclear facilities. The project is led by ČEZ, the Czech state-majority utility that already operates Temelín's two VVER-1000 units, which together generate over 15 TWh of electricity annually. The initiative positions Temelín as the first site in the Czech SMR programme, targeting deployment of the first unit in the mid-2030s and forming part of ČEZ's broader ambition to add up to 3 GW of SMR capacity across the Czech Republic.

How It Works & Differentiation

The selected technology is the Rolls-Royce SMR, a 470 MWe factory-built pressurised water reactor. ČEZ chose Rolls-Royce SMR from a seven-strong shortlist following a government-led technology selection process administered by the Czech Ministry of Trade — a decision announced in September 2024. Critically, ČEZ followed its technology selection with a 20% equity acquisition in Rolls-Royce SMR, announced in October 2024, making it the company's first strategic utility shareholder and aligning financial interests between developer and operator in a structure unusual for first-of-a-kind nuclear projects. This equity stake also gives ČEZ direct influence over the technology's development and cost trajectory, not simply a buyer's relationship.

Commercialization & Traction

The commercial and regulatory framework advanced materially in July 2025, when ČEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR signed an Early Works Agreement (EWA) covering site licensing, environmental impact assessments, and preparatory site work at Temelín. The EWA was timed to coincide with a bilateral government commitment signed by UK Prime Minister Starmer and Czech Prime Minister Fiala to cooperate on SMR export opportunities — a signal that the Czech programme is as much a geopolitical and industrial partnership as a purely commercial energy project. A secondary deployment site at Tušimice in the ústí nad Labem Region, on the site of an existing coal-fired plant, is also under evaluation, reflecting ČEZ's decarbonisation strategy of replacing coal with low-carbon baseload capacity.

Scalability & Strategic Context

The Czech Republic's nuclear context makes Temelín SMR strategically significant beyond its own megawattage. The country already sources roughly a third of its electricity from nuclear — its four VVER-440 units at Dukovany and the two VVER-1000s at Temelín — and has committed to expanding that share substantially. In parallel, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power was named preferred bidder for up to four large new units across the existing sites, with first operation targeted in 2038. The SMR programme therefore runs alongside, not instead of, large-scale nuclear expansion, positioning ČEZ as one of the most aggressive nuclear build-out programmes in Europe. Locating the SMR at an existing licensed nuclear site reduces permitting complexity and leverages existing grid connections, operational expertise, and community familiarity with nuclear power, all of which are meaningful practical advantages for a first-of-a-kind technology in a new market.