Energoatom, Rolls-Royce SMR sign memorandum to build SMR in Ukraine

MOSCOW. March 21 (Interfax) - Energoatom CEO Pyotr Kotin and British Rolls-Royce SMR Head of Customer Engagement Sophie Macfarlane-Smith have signed a memorandum of understanding on March 20 that envisages the construction of a power plant with a small modular reactor (SMR) in Ukraine.

"Under the memorandum, Rolls-Royce SMR is committed to supporting Ukraine's recovery by deploying a power plant with a pre-fabricated small modular reactor (SMR) that will be capable of generating enough carbon-free electricity to supply a million homes for more than 60 years," Ukrainian media quoted Energoatom as saying on social media on Tuesday.

Overall, the document provides an opportunity for the companies to work jointly to seek future opportunities to deploy Rolls-Royce SMR small modular reactors (SMRs) in Ukraine as it begins to rebuild.

"The cooperation between Energoatom and Rolls-Royce SMR has reached a new level. Today, we have signed an agreement that will give Ukraine the opportunity not only to launch a high-quality restoration of energy infrastructure, but also to become one of the first countries in the world that engages a promising technology of small modular reactors for this purpose," Kotin said.

For his part, Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Tom Samson noted that the British government supports Ukraine and its citizens.

"Through our own British nuclear technology, we can potentially help the people of Ukraine quickly rebuild and restore energy security and independence," he said.

As reported, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said last week that Ukraine plans to build up to 20 SMRs as part of its green transition to replace destroyed thermal power units.

The SMRs are very promising for Ukraine and nuclear engineers jointly with the Energy Ministry are drawing up many programs with various international companies developing small modular reactor technology, Kotin said.

In particular, Energoatom is cooperating on SMRs, along with the British Rolls-Royce, with the U.S. Westinghouse, which offers its AP-300 reactor, NuScale and Holtec International, and with several other companies, with which relevant memoranda have been signed.