Czechia actively participated in the IAEA Conference on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
24.10.2024 / 19:55 | Aktualizováno: 24.10.2024 / 20:03
On 24 October 2024, Mr Štěpán Kochánek, Deputy Chairperson of the State Office for Nuclear Safety of the Czech Republic, delivered opening remarks at the IAEA-sponsored side event “SMR Regulators Forum at 10 Years”, which was held as a part of the International Conference on Small Modular Reactors and their Applications.
In his remarks to the numerous participants, the Deputy Chairperson Kochánek underlined that SMRs represent a safe and feasible solution to the energy demands faced by many Member States of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This innovative technology has captured the interest of a diverse range of stakeholders in the nuclear sector—governments, industries, research institutions, utilities, and regulators. While each of these groups may have different needs, there is a common objective: the safe utilization of nuclear energy. He stressed that, regardless of the technology employed, safety and security must remain paramount.
The objective of the above side event was to highlight the accomplishments of the Forum and demonstrate how the Forum has helped address key SMR regulatory issues since its establishment in 2014. Czechia strongly supports the SMR Regulators Forum and actively participates in its work.
The first ever IAEA-organized international conference on Small Modular Reactors and their applications (Vienna, from 21 to 25 October 2024) has responded to the fact that the global demand for energy is increasing and many countries worldwide are looking to nuclear power as a low carbon and reliable energy source. Nuclear innovation is making available new technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs), which can make clean energy accessible to more countries. Significant advances have been made in recent years in SMR design and technology development.