Image source: topwar.ru
Prague is striving to expand the use of nuclear energy. Tenders are being held in the Czech Republic in connection with the commissioning of a new research reactor in the country, developed as a textbook for nuclear students. The BP-2 research reactor was built in about a year and launched less than ten years after the project was launched in 2014 by the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague.
In May of this year, CEZ announced a tender for the addition of two generators to the Temelin nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2,056 MW with two VVER-1000 units designed by the Russian company Gidropress. The units were put into operation in 2000 and 2002. CEZ has stated that it wants the construction of new generators in Temelin with an investment of about $160 million to be carried out between 2028 and 2030.
At the end of last year, Czech energy companies announced that three groups — French EDF, South Korean KHNP and Western Westinghouse Electric — had submitted initial bids for the construction of a new reactor in Dukovany, and it is expected that the bidding process will be completed by September this year. Officials said companies from China and Russia were excluded from the bidding for sanctions and security reasons.
The Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic has four VVER-400 reactors, which were put into operation between 1985 and 1987. Officials want to add another 1200 MW reactor to the site.
Officials said that the new 1,200 MW power unit in Dukovany should be ready for commissioning in 2036. The new reactor construction project represents an investment of 6 billion euros, which, according to officials, is the largest investment in the modern history of the Czech Republic.
According to the Government, the Czech Republic receives about 36% of its electricity from the reactors in Temelin and Dukovany. CEZ stated that it wants to modernize the Temelin facility, as well as the Dukovany facility, and would like Temelin to work for at least another 60 years. Bogdan Zronek, director of the nuclear energy division of CEZ, said that the company wants to choose a contractor for the Temelin project with two generators no later than the first quarter of 2024.
According to experts, the BP-2 research reactor in the Czech Republic will also serve as an impetus for the expansion of the country's nuclear energy, as it offers several experimental and training opportunities. Officials estimated the cost of the project at about $360,000.