First small modular reactor could be built in the Czech Moravian-Silesian Region as early as 2035

The first small modular reactor in Czechia could be built in the Moravian-Silesian Region. Construction could begin in 2035, with the most suitable site now being selected. One of the locations under consideration is Dětmarovice in the Karviná area, where a coal-fired power plant stood until recently. Karel Havlíček (ANO), the Minister of Industry and Trade, told reporters today during the Engineering Ostrava 2026 conference.

Energy group ČEZ and British company Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract on preparatory work for the development of small modular reactors last month. ČEZ had said that the first small modular reactor in Czechia should be built at Temelín and, according to preliminary estimates, the first unit could be commissioned in the second half of the 2030s.

"The Moravian-Silesian Region is one of the shortlisted locations, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the first reactors are here in the Moravian-Silesian Region. In this case, rather a reactor, but in any event the most suitable location in the Moravian-Silesian Region is being selected, and the reason is clear: there is industry here, and if we want to retain that industry, we must also secure its energy sources," Havlíček said.

According to Havlíček, the government will assign ČEZ the final preparation of the project next year and must make a decision in 2028. The minister said several projects could be approved simultaneously. In addition to Temelín and the Moravian-Silesian Region, the Ústí Region is also being discussed.

"There are currently several locations under discussion. Of course, one of the most frequently mentioned, I will say it outright, is Dětmarovice, because it is convenient as it is owned by ČEZ. It would be simpler. Infrastructure is already there today, and it would represent relatively the smallest intervention in the surrounding area," the minister said.

Moravian-Silesian Regional Governor Josef Bělica (ANO) said it was important for such a project to be as close to industry as possible in order to shorten transmission distances. According to him, the region already has statements from several municipalities that strongly support it. "I will submit such material to the Moravian-Silesian Regional Assembly at its June session so that, as the region's highest body, it can state that we very strongly support the construction of small modular reactors in the Moravian-Silesian Region," Bělica said.

ČEZ plans to build modular reactors with a combined capacity of three gigawatts by 2050. The existing power plants at Dukovany and Temelín each have a capacity of around two gigawatts. According to the group, the price of a modular reactor should be similar to that of large units, while being proportionate to the modular reactor's lower output. ČEZ is working with Rolls-Royce SMR on the development. The Czech company completed its equity investment in the British company last year and now holds a stake of around one-fifth. It paid around six billion crowns for it.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) can be mass-produced in factories and gradually concentrated in greater numbers at a single site in individual units. According to nuclear energy experts, they differ from large nuclear units mainly in their lower output and faster, simpler construction. Their operation, on the other hand, could be similar.