Czech utility plans first small modular reactor at Temelín, aiming to power up to one million homes

ČEZ has completed and submitted the environmental impact assessment (EIA) documents for a planned small modular reactor at the Temelín nuclear complex. If approved, the reactor could meet the annual electricity needs of up to a million Czech households and firms. The utility outlined a timeline that places the start of construction sometime after 2030, with power output anticipated in the second half of the 2030s, contingent on the progress of preparatory steps.

The EIA covers potential effects on water, air, soil, landscape, noise, transport, wildlife and vegetation, and will be examined by regulators, with opportunities for local municipalities, experts and the public to comment. ČEZ also emphasized that existing cooling tower designs and partially closed cooling circuits mitigate concerns about water scarcity, and that drought or high temperatures are not expected to limit future operation. The company sees the small modular unit as a complement to larger reactors, not a replacement.