Rolls-Royce secures deal for ŠKODA-made hardware to drive the next generation of nuclear power stations | Daily Reports Online
- Critical safety hardware for an upcoming range of Rolls-Royce’s turbine-equipped nuclear power stations is being provided by ŠKODA JS
- The Czech company will provide safety mechanisms for 470 MW reactors
- ŠKODA JS was bought by the Czech Republic’s state-backed electric power company ČEZ in 2022, removing it from its previous Russian owner, OMZ
Development of new nuclear plants based around Rolls-Royce turbines will feature critical safety hardware from ŠKODA JS, it has been announced. The Czechia-based company – once part of the old ŠKODA Works organization – will design and manufacture the Control Rod Drive Mechanisms, which are vital for regulating output and handling safety in emergencies.
The Rolls-Royce SMR (small modular reactor, but also referred to as UK SMR) is a reactor capable of outputting 470 MW of energy. That’s the equivalent of 150 onshore wind turbines, and offers a low-carbon, always on, and virtually invisible alternative to landscape-spoiling steel and fiberglass constructions.
Competition for nuclear hardware expertise is strong across Europe, and ŠKODA JS is considered a “tier-one” supplier. The deal is expected to be worth Kč 1 billion Czech Koruna (around £35 million) per Rolls-Royce power station.
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Memorandum of Understanding
Announcement of the ŠKODA JS built Control Rod Drive Mechanisms (CRDMs) follows an earlier Memorandum of Understanding with Rolls-Royce, in which the British company developed plans to develop sites in the Czech Republic, enabling deployment of up to 3GW of power.
Daniel Beneš, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ČEZ, said: “It is precisely ČEZ’s role as a strategic partner and shareholder of Rolls-Royce SMR that is key to these successes for Czech companies. Škoda JS now faces the task of developing a prototype specifically for small modular reactors so that it can subsequently supply them to Rolls-Royce SMR worldwide.”
The Rolls-Royce SMR project is forecast to create 40,000 jobs in the UK by 2050, and is targeting £250bn of exports. It has additional Memorandums of Understanding in place with Estonia and Turkey, and is delivering a trio of SMRs to locations on Sweden’s west coast.
Leading the SMR field
Small modular reactors are seen as the future of nuclear power, providing the option to assemble on-site rather than requiring huge civil engineering projects. While smaller in size and output (providing 300 MW rather than 1,000 MW), they are also more affordable than traditional nuclear power stations, and can be situated closer to industrial sites.
“ŠKODA JS has proven capability in delivering one of the most important components in our power plant,” noted Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive.
“As one of the few businesses in Europe able to provide this vital component, we are proud to have secured Skoda JS as a strategic supplier, further demonstrating the industrial benefits that this project brings.”
Rolls-Royce is seen as one of the foremost SMR builders, an extension of its turbine technology. This dates to the 1940s, and over the years has been adapted for propulsion across a number of vehicle types, land, sea and air, as well as power generation. Similarly, ŠKODA JS has a notable legacy and draws on around 70 years’ worth of nuclear power know-how.
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