UK and Czechia to lead global race on small modular reactors

British workers will further benefit from a new generation of nuclear power, after the Government signed a landmark agreement with Czechia last week. The agreement, signed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in Downing Street, is designed to unlock new opportunities for industrial collaboration and the potential for the UK and Czechia to export small modular reactors to other countries in Europe.

It will also support the delivery of up to six new reactors in Czechia by Rolls-Royce SMR, potentially worth billions of pounds. It comes after Rolls Royce SMR and the Czechia’s largest public company, CEZ, agreed last year to partner on SMRs, with CEZ acquiring a 20% stake. The leaders will also host a business roundtable as part of the visit to drive closer trade and investment links between the UK and Czechia.

Building more nuclear will help replace the UK’s dependency on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators with clean power that we control. SMRs are also smaller and quicker to build than traditional nuclear plants, with costs likely to come down as units are rolled out, helping to delivering clean, homegrown energy for British billpayers.

The Government’s clean energy mission is the only route to energy security, lower bills and good jobs for the country. Investment is already booming, with over £40 billion of private investment in clean energy announced since last July.

Backing British engineering
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This agreement is about delivering for Britain — cleaner energy, better jobs, and greater security. By working with our Czech partners on SMRs, we are backing British engineering, strengthening our industrial base, and putting the UK in a leading position to export the technologies of the future.

Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of Czechia, said: “Nuclear energy holds significant potential for the coming years, as the sector is undergoing a true renaissance. That is why I am especially pleased that CEZ and Rolls-Royce will cooperate on the development and production of SMRs. This collaboration will bring tangible benefits to both Czech and British economies, including job creation.

“The Czech Republic and the UK share a common approach to energy policy, and we have a very similar vision of what the future of energy should look like. We see the ideal energy mix as a combination of large nuclear power plants, SMRs and renewable energy sources. I am confident that this partnership with the UK will help us ensure energy security and affordable energy for future generations — a key priority of our government.”

Ed Miliband, UK Energy Secretary, said: “This Government is driving to make the UK a clean energy superpower, replacing our dependence on fossil fuel markets controlled by petrostates with clean homegrown power we control. Nuclear power is an essential part of that, which is why this Government is ending years of a no-nuclear status quo to seize the benefits of a nuclear golden age for Britain.

“This agreement will put the UK back where it belongs — at the very forefront of the global race on nuclear, working in lockstep with our Czech partners to deliver economic growth, clean energy and highly-skilled jobs for both nations.”

Competitive advantage
According to the International Energy Agency, the global SMR market is projected to reach up to nearly £500 billion by 2050, with today’s announcement giving the UK and Czechia the competitive advantage as frontrunners in the global race to build and export new nuclear technology. This follows Rolls-Royce SMR being selected as the preferred bidder to partner with Great British Energy – Nuclear to develop small modular reactors, subject to final Government approvals and contract signature — unlocking a new golden age of nuclear in the UK.

As part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy to revive Britain’s industrial heartlands, it has pledged over £2.5 billion for the overall small modular reactor programme — with this project potentially supporting up to 3,000 new skilled jobs and powering the equivalent of around three million homes with clean, secure homegrown energy.

Great British Energy – Nuclear is aiming to allocate a site later this year and connect projects to the grid in the mid-2030s. Once small modular reactors and Sizewell C come online in the 2030s, combined with the new station at Hinkley Point C, this will deliver more nuclear to the grid than over the previous half century.

During President Macron’s recent State Visit to the UK, French energy giant EDF confirmed it will take a 12.5% stake in Sizewell C, taking the project one step closer to being given the green light. At peak construction, Sizewell C will support 10,000 jobs, and thousands more in the nationwide supply chain, and create 1,500 apprenticeships.