Czechs develop a modular reactor for combined heat and power

Czechs have developed their own version of a modular nuclear reactor. The DAVID SMR project, developed with the involvement of nuclear scientists from Czechia, focuses on combined electricity and heat production. It can be used in selected industrial sectors, for seawater desalination, to supply electricity or to provide cooling for data centers. The Czech News Agency (ČTK) was informed of this by Czechatom, the system’s main supplier.

Work on the project began in 2018, and this summer its developers completed the first phase of pre-licensing assessment with the technical support organization of Ukraine’s regulator, SSTC NRS. The project focuses on minimizing emissions from district heating in the former Eastern Bloc and Scandinavia. On a global scale, its developers say it could be used in selected industrial sectors, but it does not directly compete with the technologies of major manufacturers, which primarily focus on electricity generation.

The DAVID SMR modular reactor is based on the principle of pressurized water reactors, which are used at the Czech nuclear power plants Dukovany and Temelín and at most nuclear power plants around the world. It is designed to deliver an output of 50 megawatts. In practice, the units should be installed in pairs; with four pairs deployed, the entire power facility would have an output of 400 MW.

The project’s main investor is Witkowitz Atomica, and its supplier is Czechatom. “Energy professionals want to address the decarbonization of the sector only after ensuring sufficient energy for the country to function normally. After all, we are already facing the threat of blackouts and, consequently, the collapse of industry and thus the economy, with the potential to lead to violence in society. I believe we can hit this whole flock of birds with one stone. DAVID SMR will decentralize and decarbonize the energy sector and strengthen it in every respect. It will also be a significant export product. It is a Czech solution, developed through broad international cooperation, with a global impact,” said Czechatom Chairman of the Board Martin Groch.

This year, project representatives signed, for example, a joint statement of intent with the government of the Indian state of Maharashtra, which is planning to deploy a fleet of SMRs.

The Czech Republic is also planning to use modular reactors in the future. Semi-state-owned company ČEZ is preparing its first modular reactor for electricity generation at Temelín. It plans to work on its development with Rolls-Royce, with which it will enter into an official partnership next week. Modular reactors are expected to complement large nuclear units in the country’s energy mix and eventually replace existing coal-fired sources.