CEZ, a. s. - Nuclear Power Plants
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CEZ, a. s. – Nuclear Power Plants
Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant
Four 440 MW units were installed and commissioned in the period from 1985 – 1988. In 1995, the installed power output of the power plant represented nearly 20% of the total capacity installed within the power utility. Its share of the total electricity production of CEZ, a. s., equalled approximately 30% within the same period.
Temelín Nuclear Power Plant
Two production units with 1,000 MW of power output capacity. The Skoda Praha Company assumes the role of chief supplier.
The power plant’s share of the total electricity production of the CEZ joint-stock company is approximately 50%. The automated I&C system for this particular power plant was delivered by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
For the summary information concerning the safety of Czech nuclear facilities please see the detailed report, successfully negotiated within IAEA, available on the SUJB pages.
| Nuclear Power Plants | Installed power output | Year of commission |
|---|---|---|
| Dukovany | 4 x 440 | 1985 - 1988 |
| Temelín | 2 x 1,000 | Unit 1 - 2002 Unit 2 - 2003 |
The fuel cycle
In 1997, over 64.5 TWh of electrical power was produced in the Czech Republic, of which CEZ, a. s. produced more than 74% (48 TWh). 1997 saw the only operated nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic, Dukovany NPP produce approximately 12.5 TWh of electrical energy.
When both units of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant are introduced into operation, the nuclear energy industry shall cover more than 40% of electrical power consumption in the Czech Republic.
The Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant has four 440 MW units with VVER 440/213 pressurised water reactors. The particular units were commissioned in the period from 1985 – 1987. In the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant there are two 1,000 MW units with VVER 1000 pressurised water reactors installed. As far as the power output is concerned, nuclear power plants occupy leading positions in the list of Czech Republic power plants – the largest brown coal burning power plant, i.e. Prunerov PP, produces the total power output of 1,490 MW in its nine units.
The fuel of both Czech nuclear power plants is uranium dioxide UO2, where uranium is slightly enriched with the 235 fissile isotope (for 2-4% of the uranium total amount; there is only 0.7% of 235 isotope in natural uranium). The Dukovany NPP fuel is supplied by A.O.Techsnabexport, a Russian company, whereas the Temelín NPP fuel supply is sourced from the Westinghouse Company from the USA.
The atomic act passed by the Czech Parliament in 1997 requires that all radioactive waste originators, and therefore CEZ, a. s. as well, bear the costs associated with radioactive waste depositing after its origination, with safety and security measures concerning the deposits included. The guarantees for a safe deposit of all the radioactive waste, including spent nuclear fuel, are provided by the state, which established the Radioactive Waste Deposit Management Office (SURAO), in order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the law.
Activities provided by SURAO are financed from the nuclear account. All radioactive waste originators contribute to the account. CEZ, a.s. contributes an amount in proportion to the energy quantity produced from nuclear power plants. This amount represents approximately 5% of the electrical power acceptance price. CEZ, a. s. generates a separate accounting provision to cover the costs associated with power plant decommissioning after the end of their operation.
The Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant produces less than 44 tons of spent nuclear fuel annually. Both nuclear power plants will produce 3,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel during their entire operation periods. The spent nuclear fuel produced by Dukovany NPP was initially transported into an intermediate storage facility situated in the Jaslovske Bohunice NPP area in Slovakia, from where it was expected to be gradually removed on the basis of an international treaty concluded with the (former) Soviet Union. The Russian Federation, however, as one of the successor states of the Soviet Union withdrew from these obligations. Following the split of Czechoslovakia, spent nuclear fuel from Dukovany NPP suddenly appeared on the territory of a foreign state whereby the Czech Republic accepted a return transport of the fuel assemblies into its own intermediate storage facility built in the Dukovany NPP area. The intermediate dry storage facility, with its 600 tons of spent nuclear fuel capacity, comprises 60 dual-purpose (transport and storage) Castor 440/84 delivered by GNS Nukem, a German supplier.
In 2005, the existing storage capacity of the Dukovany spent nuclear fuel intermediary storage capacity shall be used up. Therefore, design works have started on an extension of the storage capacity. The spent nuclear fuel from Temelín NPP shall be stored in a storage facility situated within its area and its construction is envisaged in the near future. Concurrently, CEZ a. s. continues with a collection of background information for the design of a storage facility situated outside of the nuclear power plant area. A central deposit for spent nuclear fuel is projected to be constructed in the “Skalka” location near the Zdar nad Sazavou district. This project is being prepared as a backup in case the next construction of storage capacities may not be implemented in the area of the nuclear power plants for some reason. The technical solution envisaged for all options of spent nuclear fuel storage, i.e. both construction and operation of a dry storage facility, is very progressive and in line with world standards.
The spent nuclear fuel shall be placed into the storage facility for the period of a few dozens of years. Its temperature shall drop to a level at which it could then be deposited into a final deep depository, where further supervision would not be necessary. As previously stated, works related to the final storage of spent nuclear fuel are ensured by the Radioactive Waste Storage Management Office (SURAO).
Additionally, CEZ, a. s. is monitoring options of spent fuel recycling before its final deposition. As a long-range option for spent nuclear fuel energy utilisation, there are ADTT procedures available, i.e. accelerator-driven transmutation technologies. These are technologies orientated towards utilisation of the enormous nuclear power potentials, which the present types of reactors cannot release from the fuel, as well as towards nuclear transmutations of long life-span radionuclides to make the period when waste is dangerous due to radioactivity substantially shorter.
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