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* The Czech Republic is 'central Europe's nuclear hub'. Its two nuclear plant sites -- Dukovany, in the southeast and Temelin, in the southwest -- produce one-third of the country's total power output. That share is expected to grow to 50 percent around 2025 with two new reactors at Temelin. [Source: Agence France Presse, "Czechs bet on nuclear power for their future", Oct 30, 2011] * The Czech Republic has three research reactors, two at the Rez Nuclear Research Institute and one at the Technical University in Prague. The biggest one (10 MW at Rez) was of Russian design but has been extensively rebuilt. The other two were designed locally. * Czech uranium mining has been producing approximately 600 tons/year. The main mine is to close in 2004, which will decrease production by at least 75%. * Russia has provided uranium conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication services. France, Canada and the USA are expected to provide these services in the future for Temelin. Radioactive Waste Management * A low- and intermediate-level waste repository at Dukovany was designed for all such wastes from both plants. Another facility is envisaged at Temelin. * Site selection for a high-level waste repository is scheduled for 2015, with construction start in 2020. The Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA) is responsible for the project. In the interim, dry cask storage will be used for the power reactor fuel, and there is an interim storage facility at Rez for spent research reactor fuel. * There is no state policy on reprocessing and the decision is left to CEZ, which does not perceive it as being economic. However, the question remains open. * The Atomic Energy Act of 2002 required CEZ to put aside funds for waste disposal and decommissioning. The rate is 0.05 crown (US$ 0.13 cent) per kWh. * The Czech Republic is a party to the NPT, and is a member of Nuclear Suppliers' Group and Euratom. Czech Republic links from IAEA * State Office for Nuclear Safety * Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant * Nuclear Research Institute,Řež plc. * National Radiation Protection Institute * http://www.suro.cz/cz/index.htm * National Institute for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection * Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic(ASCR) * Czech Technical University in Prague * Czech Technical University - Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering * West Bohemia University
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Czech Republic news
November 11, 2011 Czechs sure they're NOT the source of I-131 in European air samples Very low levels of radiation, which are higher than normal but don't seem to pose a health hazard, are being registered in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday. The agency said the cause was not known but was not the result of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which spread radiation across the globe in March... An official familiar with the matter, who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, said the release appeared to be continuing. The agency said that it was investigating. In Prague, an official at the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety said he was "100 percent sure" that the radiation had not come from any Czech nuclear power plant - or from any other source on Czech territory. Speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to the media, the official said tests are under way around the country to try and identify the source. Source: Associated Press, "Nuclear agency reports low, but unusual, radiation across Europe", November 11, 2011 update The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had received information from Czech authorities "that very low levels of iodine-131 have been measured in the atmosphere over the Czech Republic in recent days... The Czech nuclear safety office said the source of the contamination was "most probably" outside the Czech Republic, and that its information suggested the cause was not an accident at an atomic power plant. ... The Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SUJB) said "trace amounts" had been registered in the air in the past two weeks... "The source of the contamination is not known at the moment," it said. "We have not detected any increase in the concentration of other artificial radionuclides, which suggests the cause was not a nuclear power plant accident." Dana Drabova, head of the Czech nuclear safety office, told the CTK news agency: "With probability bordering on certainty this is not from a Czech source, and definitely not from our nuclear plants." Source: Agence France Presse, "Radioactivity in Europe, no public risk: IAEA", November 12, 2011 March 23, 2007 *
Havel says Czech govt should more focus on energy savings
According to an originally secret report of the Czech Republic's National Security Council, released by the public Czech Radio in February, the nation should improve its energy security by the strengthening of nuclear power, for instance by the building of a new reactor in the Temelin nuclear power plant, south Bohemia, or in other localities and by the use of technologies from some other EU country. However, the recommendations in the report are at variance with the government policy statement in which the coalition cabinet -- of Mirek Topolanek (Civic Democrats, ODS, are the senior ruling party), including also the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Greens (SZ) -- pledged not to support the construction of new nuclear blocs. Industry and Trade Minister Martin Riman (ODS) recently indicated he would not mind the construction of new nuclear power reactors and the possible lifting of brown coal mining limits. He was criticised for these statements even by some Civic Democrats. This article describes former Czech President Vaclav Havel's take on these matters. Mr. Havel told the reporter that "Arguments that we will need more and more energy are being constantly used, but the number of inhabitants [in the Czech Republic] is more or less the same. We should at first place solve the problem how to consume less energy." Mr. Havel has pointed to environmental issues in the long run and he does not conceal his support for the junior government Green Party. Mr. Havel invited former U.S. vice-president Albert Gore to Prague, where Mr. Gore is expected to present his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," warning against climate changes, at the annual international conference Forum 2000 to be held this autumn. August 2, 2006 Temelin - both 1000-MW units offline Temelin-1 has been in refueling outage since June. Unit 2 was disconnected from the grid Monday because of an oil leak from the turbine. Attempts to reconnect unit 2 to grid failed Wednesday after temperature rose slightly -- a couple of degrees -- at the unit's turbine, initiating an automatic security system which shut off the turbine, according to plant spokesperson Milan Nebesar. Construction of the plant's two 1,000-megawatt units, based on Russian design, started in the 1980s. The reactors were later upgraded with U.S. technology, but they have remained controversial because of frequent malfunctions. [Source: Associated Press, "Workers fail to reconnect Czech nuclear plant to power grid", Associated Press Worldstream, August 2, 2006 8:32 am GMT] * [2006-05-17] Russia corporation wins Czech tender for nuclear fuel deliveries * [2006-05-17] Russia wins tender to supply Czech NPP with nuclear fuel May 27, 2004 Over 2003-04 energy policy discussions have canvassed the building of two more large reactors, probably at Temelin, to replace obsolete coal-fired capacity. The European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) of 1600 MWe is a strong candidate. [Source: World Nuclear Association, "Nuclear Power in Czech Republic", Information and Issue Brief, May 2004] May 1, 2004 - Czech Republic joins as member of Euratom, as part of becoming member of European Union. August 1, 2003 * [Czech Republic] Temelin Staff To Unhook First Unit From Grid
* "Each of the two 1,000-megawatt units at the troubled power plant in Temelin is undergoing a final trial period required before they can be declared ready for commercial production. The plant's first unit, expected to be ready for commercial use sometime this year, began 18 months of full-scale trial in June 2002. The second unit should be ready for commercial use in 2004. The Temelin plant, based on Russian design and upgraded with U.S. technology, has been plagued by frequent, non-nuclear malfunctions since testing began in November 2000." [Source: Associated Press, "Output of reactor at troubled nuclear plant down to 39 percent", May 12, 2003] 2002 - The Atomic Energy Act of 1997 was amended to harmonise with EU legislation. It covers all nuclear energy matters. 2002 - Additional Protocol in relation to safeguards agreements with IAEA came into force 2000 - After years of construction delays and design changes (Westinghouse instrument and control systems were incorporated, for example), the first unit at Temelin started up. The second unit started up in 2002. 1999 - The Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) reported that the country's nuclear regulatory regime was comparable with those in Western Europe. 1997 - Czech Republic safeguards agreement under the NPT came into force 1993 - Czech Republic became party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a non-nuclear weapons state. 1993 - The State Office for Nuclear Safety (SUJB) took over from the former Czechoslovak Atomic Energy Commission. It's reguatory responsibilities include licensing, nuclear safety, waste management, safeguards, and radiation protection. 1992 - The Rez Nuclear Research Institute was privatised. It is owned by owned by CEZ (52%) with Slovak Electric (SE) and Skoda. 1986 Mean individual dose to Czechs from Chernobyl accident (over 50-year period) is projected to be 600 microSieverts. The collective dose to Czechs over the same period is projected to be 9,200 person-Sieverts. The projections take into account inhalation from the passing cloud, ingestion through the food chain, and external irradiation from deposited radioactivity, and are based on the MESOS dispersion model developed by Helen ApSimon of Imperial College, as applied by W. Nixon, of the Safety and Reliability Directorate of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority. [Ref: Nuclear News, "Chernobyl doses across the continent", January 1987, p. 62] 1982 - Construction began on 2-unit Temelin plant (VVER-1000 type V-320 reactors), designed by Energoproject and built by Skoda Praha. 1978 - Construction began on 4-unit Dukovany plant (VVER 440 type 213 reactors). Designed by Energoproject and built by Skoda, they started up in 1985-87. 1977 - The first unit at Bohunice was shut down, and never restarted. Other units were built at the site during 1970s and early 1980s. 1972 - First reactor startup at Bohunice 1958 - Construction began on Czechoslovakia's first nuclear plant - a gas-cooled heavy water reactor at Bohunice. |