Rolls-Royce SMR deal with ŠKODA JS strengthens UK-Czech nuclear collaboration

Rolls-Royce SMR has awarded ŠKODA JS a contract to design and supply key reactor control systems for its small modular reactors (SMRs).

Control Rod Drive Mechanisms (CRDMs) are among the most safety-critical components in a reactor, regulating power output and enabling rapid shutdown. ŠKODA JS brings decades of experience in the design, manufacture and qualification of CRDMs for Pressurised Water Reactors - the nuclear technology at the heart of the Rolls-Royce SMR design.

Very few companies in Europe can produce this vital component and Rolls-Royce SMR is proud to be partnering with a leading Czech business as it establishes its supply chain team for projects in Czechia, the UK and Sweden. 

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive, said: “ŠKODA JS has proven capability in delivering one of the most important components in our power plant. 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 SMR recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ČEZ and the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade to support site preparation at two additional locations, underpinning plans to deploy up to 3GW of SMR capacity in Czechia. Today’s announcement further demonstrates the industrial benefits of a fleet programme, creating greater supply chain opportunities for Czech, British and Swedish businesses.

Karel Havlíček, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and Minister of Industry and Trade, said: “Supporting Czech industry is essential for us. Small modular reactors represent a technological opportunity with global reach for our companies. The contracts that Škoda JS has already signed with Rolls-Royce SMR are clear proof of this. Small modular reactors will not only strengthen our country’s energy security and self-sufficiency but also create new jobs and open up new opportunities for follow-on investments.”

Daniel Beneš, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ČEZ, said: "The global supply chain for small modular reactors is now taking shape, and it is crucial for our industrial companies to act quickly and now. This is a unique opportunity. If they manage to join this chain right from the start, they can secure attractive contracts for decades to come. I am very pleased that we can already announce the first such contracts. 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.” 

Karel Bednář, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ŠKODA JS, said: “The contract also includes preparations for mass production at ŠKODA JS and the terms of a future contract for the global supply of the control system to all Rolls-Royce SMR reactors. For us, this represents recurring orders worth more than one billion crowns for each SMR in the future.” 

Rolls-Royce SMR is Europe’s leading SMR company with contracts with Great British Energy – Nuclear to begin deploying the UK’s first SMRs in North Wales; with ČEZ for the deployment of RollsRoyce SMRs at Temelín - alongside potential for further units at Tušimice and Dětmarovice - and has been selected by Videberg Kraft as its partner to deliver three SMRs on Sweden’s west coast.

Delivered from ŠKODA JS historic facilities in Pilsen, the contract will support skilled local employment, provide further opportunities across the European nuclear supply chain and boost export opportunities for UK companies.