Czech power company ČEZ has begun work to extend the life of the Temelín NPP by 80 years following similar work already underway at the Dukovany NPP. ČEZ currently operates four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which began operation between 1985 and 1987. The two VVER-1000 units at Temelín NPP began operation in 2000 and 2002.
Both NPPs have already undergone extensive modernisations to increase capacity. Output from Temelín has increased from 1,962 MWe to 2,172 MWe and from Dukovany from 1760 MWe to the current 2048 MWe.
“The plan to operate Dukovany and Temelín for 80 years is based on careful economic and technical analyses that we have been working on for several years,” said ČEZ CEO Daniel Beneš. “It also means major investments and modernisation programmes. We are going in the same direction as other modern operators of nuclear power plants in the world. Of course, we will regularly evaluate both the technical condition of the power plants and the safety and economic conditions of long-term operation.”
The 80-year operation envisages further large-scale investments and modernisation programmes. In Temelín this includes the planned replacement of turbogenerators, modernisation of the control and management system, the construction of a new hall for the maintenance of large technological units, and the replacement of cooling water pipes. In Dukovany, among other things, it will involve replacement of important elements of engine rooms, the renewal of switchboards, fittings the gradual modernisation of control and safety systems.
A prerequisite for long-term operation is a detailed and long-term proven knowledge of the technical condition of key parts of the equipment, especially those whose replacement would be technically extremely complex and ineffective from the point of view of safety and economy. These are mainly reactor pressure vessels and the main structures of the plants. These are continuously monitored throughout the operation. Their condition is regularly evaluated by experts based on extensive non-destructive testing, long-term trend analyses and internationally proven methods of evaluating material ageing.
“Security always comes first, which is a key condition for long-term operation,” said ČEZ board member and Director of the Nuclear Energy Division Bohdan Zronek. “We must always be sure of the condition of the key device. We demonstrate this, among other things, by the periodic safety assessment that our power plants undergo every ten years. It is a complex and demanding process that focuses both on the technical condition itself, modernization, but also compliance with international standards and legislation.”
Štěpán Kochánek, Chairman of the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB – Státní úřad pro jadernou bezpečnost), said: “The service life of nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic is not set by a fixed time limit. The key criterion is the condition of safety-critical components. Operation can only be extended if the operator demonstrates in regular cycles that all safety requirements are met, that the equipment is effectively managed, that it is in an adequate technical condition and that adequate financial and human resources are available. Every single step and the submitted assessments will be thoroughly examined.”
