Czechia - World Nuclear Performance Report

Czechia has six operable reactors: two VVER-1000 units at Temelin, 100 km south of Prague; and four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, 30 km west of Brno.

The government’s long-term energy strategy of 2015 forecasts the need to increase the share of nuclear power inthe country’s electricity mix to 50-55% by 2050. In September 2023 the Czech prime minister said the country would need at least four nuclear power reactors to achieve this aim.

In October 2022 three vendors – EDF, Westinghouse and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) – submitted initial bids to national utility ČEZ for a binding offer to build a new reactor at Dukovany plus a non-binding offer for three more. In February 2024 the tender was changed to binding offers for up to four reactors – units 5&6 at Dukovany and units 3&4 at Temelin – and EDF and KHNP were invited to submit bids. In April 2024 KHNP and EDF submitted their updated bids.

In April 2024 ČEZ highlighted the benefits of its fleet modernization programme, stating these changes had added extra capacity equivalent to that of a large coal-fired power plant. Changes at Dukovany include  extending the duration of fuel cycles. At Temelin, fuel is now cycled every 18 months, rather than every 12, and parameters like air temperature, humidity and cooling water temperature are analyzed to optimize plant  performance. ČEZ said that Temelin’s electricity consumption was reduced by 5400 MWh in 2023 as a result.

Electricity production by age of reactor