ČEZ launches SMR project at Temelín in Czechia, ministry to begin assessing its impacts

Energy company ČEZ has submitted environmental impact assessment (EIA) documentation for a small modular reactor (SMR) project at Temelín to the Ministry of the Environment. The company announced this today in a press release. ČEZ expects the EIA review to be completed by the end of next year. Temelín is expected to be the first site in Czechia to host an SMR. ČEZ previously said it expects the reactor to start operating in the mid-2030s.

As part of the EIA, the Ministry of the Environment will assess the project’s possible impacts on the surrounding area and propose any measures to minimise them. ČEZ said it had devoted considerable attention to water availability when preparing the documentation. According to the company, the results so far confirm that even taking worsening drought conditions into account, water availability should not be an obstacle to building the reactor.