Czech power utility ČEZ Group concluded contracts with American nuclear power company Westinghouse and French nuclear company Framatome for the supply of fuel assemblies for its Temelín Nuclear Power Plant. ČEZ says the contracts are important steps towards further strengthening the energy security of the Czech Republic.
Both suppliers were selected in a tender in April this year to deliver assemblies for more than 10 years. Both companies should start deliveries to the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant in 2024.
“Our goal was to diversify the number of suppliers in order to minimise the risk of possible supply failures for any reason,” explained Ladislav Štěpánek, Director of the Fuel Cycle Department at ČEZ Group.
“Westinghouse has developed and supplied for many years our own VVER fuel designs for both the VVER 1000 and the VVER 440 types of reactors. We are extremely happy that our successful experience in supplying VVER fuel is going to benefit CEZ,” said Tarik Choho, President of EMEA Operating Plant Services at Westinghouse.
“Framatome is pleased to have been chosen by ČEZ as a supplier to contribute to Temelin plant’s fuel security of supply,” commented Lionel Gaiffe, Senior Executive Vice President, Fuel Business Unit at Framatome. “This is the result of a long-term partnership between ČEZ and Framatome and demonstrates the confidence of ČEZ in the reliability of our fuel solution regarding their need and requirement to produce low carbon energy in the Czech Republic,” he concluded.
Currently, ČEZ has fuel assemblies for approximately two years of operation. The volume of the stock at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant is even higher.
“We decided to increase the stockpile volume at both nuclear power plants in 2016,” explained Bohdan Zronek, a member of the Board of Directors and Director of the Nuclear Power Division. “Thanks to this, we have enough assemblies at Dukovany for approximately three years of operation of all the units. Of course, we continue to think about the diversification of suppliers.”
Since the beginning of the year, the Temelín plant has generated 4.9 terawatt-hours of electricity and provided 20 per cent of the annual electricity consumption in Czechia, according to ČEZ.
