Rolls-Royce selects ŠKODA JS for nuclear reactor safety hardware

Rolls-Royce has selected Czech company ŠKODA JS to design and manufacture Control Rod Drive Mechanisms for its small modular reactor (SMR) power stations, TechRadar reports. The components help regulate reactor output and are used in safety responses.

The deal is expected to be worth Kč 1 billion (about £35 million) per Rolls-Royce power station. The Rolls-Royce SMR is designed to produce 470 MW. The announcement follows a memorandum of understanding under which Rolls-Royce outlined plans for sites in the Czech Republic that could enable up to 3 GW of power.

ČEZ Chairman and CEO Daniel Beneš said ŠKODA JS would develop a prototype for small modular reactors before supplying the mechanisms to Rolls-Royce SMR worldwide. Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive Chris Cholerton described ŠKODA JS as one of the few European businesses able to provide the component and said the agreement made it a strategic supplier.

The project is forecast to create 40,000 jobs in the UK by 2050 and is targeting £250 billion in exports. Rolls-Royce SMR also has memorandums of understanding with Estonia and Turkey, and is delivering three reactors to locations on Sweden’s west coast. The source describes small modular reactors as smaller than traditional nuclear power stations and says they can be assembled on site.