Czech energy company ČEZ has announced that it is investing in the modernisation of its Dukovany and Temelín nuclear power plants to ensure their long-term operation. ČEZ is set to invest over CZK2.3 billion (USD104 million) at the Dukovany plant to ensure safe and reliable operation until at least 2047. Framatome, the French multinational nuclear energy company, will work on modernising the existing instrumentation and control (I&C) Spinline testers for safety systems at the four units at Dukovany. The new Spinline testers will be modular digital solutions specifically designed to implement critical safety functions such as the reactor protection system and the neutron instrumentation system. The first installation of new Spinline testers at Dukovany is scheduled for mid-2024 during a planned outage of unit 2. The modernisation of the existing Spinline safety I&C platform will allow ČEZ to operate Framatome systems until 2045.

At the Temelín plant, ČEZ is investing CZK3.6 billion in the modernisation of the plant to prepare it for at least 60 years of operation. This includes extending the fuel campaign, modernising control systems, and preparing for a generator replacement. ČEZ plans to extend the operating cycle at Temelín from the current one year to about 18 months. This decision follows analyses and assessments, with ČEZ following the majority of power plants in the world that are already working on this cycle. The modernisation of the Temelín plant has cost over CZK28 billion since its start of operation.

The Czech Republic already generates 34% of its electricity from nuclear power, with four reactors at Dukovany and two at Temelín. ČEZ is currently evaluating bids from Westinghouse, EDF, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for the construction of a new reactor at Dukovany. Additionally, an area near Temelín has been designated the South Bohemia Nuclear Park and earmarked for small reactors to operate in the early 2030s.

Bohdan Zronek, chief nuclear officer of ČEZ and member of the board of directors, has said that the final objective of the Spinline testers’ renovation and subsequent modernisation activities is to ensure safe and reliable I&C systems operations. He added that continuous modernisation and increasing efficiency are key to keeping both Czech nuclear power plants in the best possible condition. The investments at both the Dukovany and Temelín plants aim to improve the efficiency and extend the operation of the plants for decades to come.

Article by Prague Forum