Czech power utility ČEZ said experts are completing the next round of geological wells near the Temelín NPP and will use the results of the survey to apply for a siting permit for the Czech Republic’s first small modular reactor (SMR). Workers would like to submit the data to the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB – Státní Úřad pro Jadernou Bezpečnost) within the next year.
The geological survey underway at the southwestern edge of the Temelín site will examine the composition and placement of the rock. Over the past month, geologists dug nine exploratory boreholes, ranging from 50 to 200 metres in depth. They proceeded at a speed of less than two metres per hour in the hard bedrock.
“We use a core drilling rig with a diamond crown, which is the hardest natural material, geologist Jakub Opršal explained. “As a result, we are able to remove the drilling core even from very solid rock.”
The aim of the survey is to refine the data on the geological environment. Geologists take samples from the drill core, which they then test. The tests determine the strength, bulk density and other physico-mechanical parameters of the rocks. They placed all the drilled core in wooden boxes for storage. This is one of many surveys ČEZ is conducting in the Temelín locality.
“Geologically, it is an extensively mapped location, suitable for nuclear energy. The surveys were carried out in the 1980s before the construction of the first and second Temelín units,” said Silvana Jirotková, Director of the SMR Development Department at ČEZ, “Other surveys were in connection with the preparation of the third and fourth units. In the case of the SMR, this is the second survey and others will follow.”
The first survey for the SMR took place three years ago. At that time there were four wells with a depth of 30 metres. ČEZ will use the results of the most recent survey in its application for a site permit, which it wants to submit in the next year in line with the requirements of the Atomic Act.
A thorough permitting process has already begun in Temelín. The necessary update of the Principles of Territorial Development of the South Bohemian Region has been completed and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is currently underway. ČEZ has already obtained the conclusions of the investigation procedure and wants to submit the EIA documentation next year.
ČEZ and the UK-based Rolls-Royce SMR in July signed an Early Works Agreement (EWA) in order to start preparations for construction of the first small modular reactor (SMR) in the Czech Republic. This comes after ČEZ chose Rolls-Royce SMR technology as a strategic partner and supplier for SMRs with a total capacity of 3 GWe. The EWA builds on the recent signing by the UK and the Czech Republic of a five-year memorandum of understanding to accelerate co-operation on SMRs. Earlier this year, ČEZ acquired a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR in the form of a capital input.
The Rolls-Royce SMR design is a three loop PWR with an output of 470 MWe derived from 1,358 MWt. The Rolls-Royce SMR concept is centred on modularisation of reliable and proven technology, allowing maximum use of the factory environment to combine standard components with advanced manufacturing techniques. The factory-built modularisation approach is expected to drastically reduce the amount of on-site construction while its compact footprint and modular design means it can be located alongside energy intensive industrial processes.
The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from four VVER-440 units at Dukovany NPP, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two VVER-1000 units at Temelín NPP, which began operation in 2000 and 2002.
