Significant investment and modernisation work will be required to enable the longer-than-originally planned operation of the two VVER-1000 units, whose capacity has increased from 1,000 MWe per unit to 1,086 MWe as a result of upgrade works already carried out.
ČEZ, which is 70% state-owned, says that the future work required will include “planned replacement of turbogenerators, modernisation of the control and management system, construction of a new hall for the maintenance of large technological units, and replacement of cooling water pipes”.
CEO Daniel Beneš said the decision was “based on careful economic and technical analyses, which we have been working on for several years. It also means large investments and modernisation programmes. We are going in the same direction as other modern operators of nuclear power plants in the world. Of course, we will regularly evaluate both the technical condition of the power plants and the safety and economic conditions of long-term operation”.
Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček said: “Extending the operation of Czech nuclear power plants to up to 80 years is a logical step. Of course, the prerequisite is maintaining all necessary safety standards. Electricity consumption will grow, our nuclear power plants are in perfect condition, so it is right to start investing now as that will enable long-term operation. Of course, nothing changes in that we are continuing the project for a new nuclear power plant in Dukovany and we will also build other nuclear and renewable sources.”
Štěpán Kochánek, Chairman of the State Office for Nuclear Safety, said: “The service life of nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic is not set by a fixed time limit. The key criterion is the condition of safety-critical components. Operation can only be extended if the operator demonstrates in regular cycles that all safety requirements are met, that the equipment is effectively managed, that it is in an adequate technical condition and that adequate financial and human resources are available. Every single step and the submitted assessments will be thoroughly examined.”
In April ČEZ announced that it had begun the process of extending Dukovany’s life to 80 years. ČEZ currently operates four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which date back to between 1985 and 1987. Their output has gradually been increased from the original 440 MWe to 512 MWe through extensive modernisations. Ongoing modernisation work aims to ensure the units can operate for at least 60 years, to 2045-2047.
The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from nuclear generation and in addition to maintaining, upgrading and extending its existing units, the country has plans for , initially at Dukovany, and also for up to .
