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The MoU will see the companies "explore opportunities across a range of technical and regulatory areas, including nuclear safety analysis, design and engineering services, evaluation and testing, technical support to operations, licensing and regulatory requirements specific to the Czech Republic".

Rolls-Royce SMR's technology has been selected by the Czech Republic to provide up to 3 GW of capacity in the country with nuclear power plant operator ČEZ, which has also taken a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR.

As well as signing the MoU, Rolls-Royce SMR hosted a technical conference for suppliers in Prague, with ČEZ saying Czech companies "have a unique opportunity to be at its birth and participate in the construction of small modular reactors both in the Czech Republic and in other world markets".

ÚJV Řež, which is 80% owned by ČEZ, has an existing contract with Rolls-Royce SMR for the analysis, testing and evaluation of critical components and Director General Martin Ruščák said: "Deepening our relationship with Rolls-Royce SMR is a valuable opportunity to leverage decades of nuclear expertise at ÚJV Řež."

"By combining our experience with Rolls-Royce SMR’s pioneering technology, we can help position the Czech industry at the forefront of the global SMR market and significantly contribute to our secure energy future," he added.

Rolls-Royce SMR Technical Director David Dodd, said: "ÚJV Řež is a globally recognised provider of technical and scientific services with over 60 years of experience supporting the European nuclear industry. Strengthening this partnership not only solidifies our own engineering capabilities, but also ensures that we are working with the best in the world in developing the Rolls-Royce SMR deployment."

The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurised water reactor. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years. Ninety percent of the SMR - measuring about 16 metres by 4 metres - will be built in factory conditions, limiting activity on-site primarily to assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested, modules which significantly reduces project risk and has the potential to drastically shorten build schedules.

It has been selected by both the Czech Republic and by the UK government for their respective proposed SMR programmes.