US experts assess conditions for a small modular reactor at Vřesová, Czechia

Consultants from US companies Jensen Hughes and EXCEL Services are preparing a feasibility study on siting a small modular reactor (SMR) at Sokolovská uhelná’s Vřesová site. This is a further stage in assessing the potential for siting a new type of nuclear reactor, which Sokolovská uhelná and its sister company SUAS Group have been considering for some time in connection with the move away from brown coal mining and processing. The company announced this today in a press release. The experts’ visit, as part of the US State Department’s Project Phoenix, took place at the end of September.

„The consultants assessed the site’s suitability in terms of cooling the nuclear reactor, evacuating its output, the composition of the subsoil and other technical aspects of its operation. They had the opportunity to meet with Vřesová chief engineer Stanislav Kapr, chief technologist Zdeněk Jonát and other partners on our side. They discussed the complex’s infrastructure in particular,“ said Adam Peteřík, head of Sokolovská uhelná’s project team.

The consultants presented representatives of Sokolovská uhelná and SUAS GROUP with six different small modular reactor designs, three of which will need to be selected for a more detailed assessment. A financial plan for the project, including all projected costs and returns, will also be developed in stages.

The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade also secured support from the US State Department in the previous period through Project NEXT. This support covers assistance from the ministry and the regulator, the State Office for Nuclear Safety, with legislation and licensing for small modular reactors. „It should also include support for potential investors with follow-up studies on SMR installation. In addition to Sokolovská uhelná and SUAS GROUP, these companies are the ČEZ Group and Unipetrol. We have submitted a request for a project plan to obtain a permit for siting a nuclear power source, as well as assistance with project management for the entire undertaking,“ said Martin Čermák, a member of the boards of Sokolovská uhelná and SUAS GROUP.

SUAS GROUP and Sokolovská uhelná succeeded earlier this year in applying for a grant from the US Phoenix programme, which funds feasibility studies related to siting small nuclear reactors in Europe. Once coal mining is phased out, these could help ensure affordable and stable supplies of electricity and heat in the future. Sokolovská uhelná is considering building an SMR with an output of around 400 to 500 MWe (electrical megawatts). The group aims to complete the feasibility study by the end of 2025.

The competition was open to 17 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to Sokolovská uhelná and SUAS GROUP, Slovenské elektrárne from Slovakia and Poland’s PKN Orlen and Synthos – Orlen Synthos Green Energy were selected.

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