Unit 2 of the Czech Temelín Nuclear Power Plant shut down due to a control system fault

Unit 2 of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant in the south of the Czech Republic has been taken out of service due to a fault in the control system of its non-nuclear portion. Marek Sviták, spokesperson for the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, said that power engineers shut down Unit 2 of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant that day because of a fault in the control system of the non-nuclear portion. After the necessary inspection and maintenance work is completed, the unit is expected to resume operation and return to power generation on Thursday of this week. At the same time, Unit 1 of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant is currently operating normally at full power and has not been affected. In addition to the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, the...

2026-09-17

Czech Temelín Nuclear Power Plant to Load US Nuclear Fuel by Year-End

On September 9, the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant in the southern Czech Republic will begin using nuclear fuel produced by the US company Westinghouse Electric Company (Westinghouse). Czech energy company ČEZ has obtained permission from the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety to use this type of fuel at the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant. The Temelín Nuclear Power Plant has two units in total. According to the plan, Westinghouse nuclear fuel will be loaded into the reactor core during the outage and maintenance of Unit 1 at the end of this year. The Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, located in the southeastern Czech Republic, also plans to switch to Westinghouse fuel. Existing Czech nuclear power plants currently use Russian nuclear fuel, supplied by TVEL Fuel Company, a subsidiary of the Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom...

2026-09-10

Long-term operation upgrades advanced during outage of Czech Dukovany Unit 3

On September 8, 2026, CEZ Group (CEZ) is utilizing the current outage maintenance window of Unit 3 at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant to carry out large-scale modernization of the turbine hall and secondary circuit. These systems are responsible for converting the thermal energy generated by the reactor into electricity and delivering it to the transmission grid. CEZ stated that during this outage, technicians will perform hundreds of inspections, repairs, maintenance activities, and modifications on secondary circuit equipment. In addition to routine inspections required by regulations and operating procedures, preventive maintenance, defect resolution, and equipment upgrades will also be carried out on site, creating conditions for the plant's goal of operating for up to 80 years. Roman Havlín, Director of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, stated that while outage maintenance at nuclear power plants typically draws more attention to the reactor and primary circuit, the turbine hall equipment that ensures actual electricity generation is equally critical, and related equipment will also receive intensive maintenance during the outage.

2026-09-09

South Korean Companies Advance Nuclear Hydrogen Demonstration Project in Czech Republic

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on September 8 that it has completed a joint research review with the Czech Hydrogen Association (HYTEP) on the legal, institutional, and policy environment for nuclear hydrogen production in the Czech Republic and the European Union, and exchanged views on advancing a clean hydrogen production demonstration project in the Czech Republic. The two sides held a results-sharing meeting on September 7 at Hwangnyongwon in Gyeongju, South Korea, to review the final outcomes of the research. The study, launched in September 2025 and spanning approximately 11 months, primarily examined policy directions, laws and regulations, certification requirements, and market access conditions in the nuclear and hydrogen sectors in the Czech Republic and the EU, providing an institutional basis for the implementation of nuclear hydrogen production projects. Based on the research findings, KHNP plans to promote a clean hydrogen production demonstration project integrated with nuclear power in the Czech Republic.

2026-09-08

Czech Dukovany New Nuclear Project Scheduled to Break Ground in 2029

Preliminary work on the new nuclear power plant project at Dukovany, Czech Republic, continues to advance. According to information released by the Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic (SP ČR), geological surveys at the project site have been completed, and the permitting process is underway with no major obstacles identified so far. Under the current schedule, main construction of the new nuclear power plant is set to begin in 2029. Development of the local supply chain is also progressing in parallel. To date, Czech domestic companies have secured 17 tendered supply packages, though the total contract value has not yet been disclosed. Doosan Škoda Power has joined the project, along with ČEZ Energetické projekty and Energoprojekt Praha, which have entered the relevant design, engineering, and supply chain segments.

2026-08-24

Czech Republic Proposes Amendments to Low-Carbon Act, Key Dukovany Nuclear Contracts May Exit Public Registry

The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade recently published a draft amendment to the Low-Carbon Act, proposing adjustments to the Act on Measures for the Transition to Low-Carbon Energy and related energy laws and contract registration regulations. On the surface, this legislative change is primarily aimed at unifying the support mechanisms, contract signing procedures, and compensation settlement rules for new nuclear power projects. However, the most notable change is that certain key contracts involving the construction and financial support of nuclear power units may no longer be required to be disclosed in the public contract registration system. The draft proposes the "compensation mechanism contract" as the basic model for supporting new nuclear projects, with a nature similar to a bilateral contract for difference—providing compensation when market electricity prices fall below agreed levels, and requiring repayment or settlement when prices exceed agreed levels.

2026-08-13

Budapest Launches Feasibility Study for Long-Distance Heat Supply from Paks Nuclear Power Plant

On August 11, 2026, Budapest Public Services Company (BKM), in partnership with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, launched a feasibility study to explore the delivery of thermal energy from the Paks Nuclear Power Plant to the city's district heating system via a hot-water pipeline of approximately 125 kilometers. The study focuses on the technical, economic, and construction feasibility of the project. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is located about 100 kilometers from the capital, and the current heat load of Budapest's district heating system is approximately 100 MWth in summer, peaking at 1,000 MWth in winter. The core significance of this concept lies not only in providing a low-carbon heat source for the city but also in improving the efficiency of waste heat utilization at the nuclear power plant. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant currently...

2026-08-12

Czech industrial valve manufacturer MSA expands into the full nuclear energy supply chain

Czech industrial valve manufacturer MSA is actively expanding its business, aiming not only to participate in the construction of the Dukovany nuclear power plant but also to enter the supply chains related to small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear submarine projects. The company is one of the representatives of Czech industrial valve manufacturers, with years of industry experience and technical expertise. MSA specializes in the manufacture of industrial valves designed for the control of media such as liquids and gases. Its products have a long history and have undergone significant technological advancements. Modern industrial valves have become a highly specialized field, relying on contemporary research, innovative materials, and stringent technical and legal requirements. In particular, valves used in nuclear power plants must meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and operational reliability...

2026-08-06

Temelín Nuclear Power Plant in Czech Republic Records Second-Highest Monthly Generation in July

Despite prevailing high temperatures, the Czech Temelín Nuclear Power Plant achieved its second-highest monthly electricity generation this year. In July, the plant delivered 1,603,637 MWh of electricity to the transmission grid, nearly matching the May record of 1,617,093 MWh. This is sufficient to cover the electricity needs of all Czech households for more than one month. Thanks to its cooling tower system, the Temelín plant was unaffected by the hot and dry weather. In contrast, some nuclear power plants abroad were forced to reduce output or even shut down due to falling river levels and rising water temperatures. However, Temelín's closed cooling cycle and its cooling towers enable it to operate independently of direct water source suppl...

2026-08-06

Czech nuclear safety officials say domestic nuclear power plants have sufficient cooling water for both existing and new units

Droughts across parts of Europe are affecting the operation of some nuclear power plants. Due to low water levels and flow rates in the Danube River, two reactors at Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant have been shut down, and Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant also faces the risk of a complete shutdown. Štěpán Kochánek, Chairman of the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB), stated that plant operators should not be allowed to continue operating units at full power when cooling water is insufficient, and that related shutdown measures are conservative actions predefined in operating procedures. Kochánek explained that reactor shutdowns are not an unusually rare operation. Unit shutdown typically involves gradually reducing reactor power, inserting control rods, and bringing fission reactions to a minimal level or complete cessation. After shutdown, the reactor still requires cooling, but the demand for cooling water volume and capacity is significantly lower than during full-power operation. He noted that this process shares similarities with planned outages such as refueling overhauls and is a standardized procedure that operators should master.

2026-08-05

Czech Republic Leads EU Project to Assess Application of Commercial-Grade Items in VVER Nuclear Power Plants

The Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) has launched a two-year EU project focused on assessment methodologies for the application of high-quality commercial-grade items in nuclear power plants equipped with VVER reactors. The project aims to establish a unified, expert-judgment-based evaluation process that provides methodological support for nuclear facilities when introducing relevant items, while ensuring that nuclear safety requirements are not compromised. As the nuclear power supply chain landscape evolves, certain plant-specific components may face the need to be replaced by commercial-grade products. In response, regulatory authorities need to establish clear rules to review the suitability, quality assurance, and safety implications of substitute items. The project will focus on evaluating...

2026-08-04

Units 3 and 4 of Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant to Undergo Joint Maintenance of Shared Systems

Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant staff will initiate a planned extended outage for Unit 4 on the evening of August 1, while Unit 3 will remain in its outage state. Both units will be offline simultaneously in August, and the plant will use this window to conduct comprehensive inspections, maintenance, and modernization of the shared facilities of Units 3 and 4. Bohdan Zronek, member of the Board of Directors of ČEZ Group and head of the nuclear energy division, stated that the simultaneous shutdown of Units 3 and 4 at Dukovany will place the plant under an intensive work schedule over the coming weeks. Experts from ČEZ and its suppliers will handle hundreds of tasks, and the effectiveness of the outage work depends on precise coordination across all stages. According to...

2026-08-01

Fuel unloading completed for Unit 3 of Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant

On July 30, Unit 3 of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant completed the unloading of reactor fuel assemblies, and the planned refueling outage has now entered its next phase. During this outage, the plant will replace part of the nuclear fuel and carry out hundreds of inspections, tests, and maintenance activities to enhance nuclear safety levels and ensure the long-term stable operation of the unit. In this outage, although the actual number of fuel assemblies to be replaced accounts for about one-fifth of the total, operators must first remove all fuel assemblies from the entire core and transfer them to the spent fuel pool. Subsequently, the reactor water level will be lowered to create conditions for maintenance of core cooling system components and inspection of some primary circuit equipment...

2026-07-30