First Czech Nuclear Power Plan Turns 25

The first nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Czech Republic - located at South-Moravian village Dukovany - is celebrating 25th anniversary of its operation.

Even though its construction commenced already in 1974, it was interrupted after two years because of changing of the project to a NPP with more advanced reactor and a number of safety improvements. Construction in full scope was resumed in 1978.

Loading of fuel to its first unit started at the end of 1984, fission reaction was initiated on 12 February 1985 and 12 days later the NPP already produced "its" first energy. Full power of the first unit was reached on 26 March, and the unit has been in commercial operation since 3 November 1985. The second and third unit were put into operation in 1986 and the last, fourth unit of the NPP Dukovany followed in 1987.

NPP Dukovany

Four WWER 440/213 reactors have been installed in NPP Dukovany. WWER 440 stands for (light) Water Cooled (light) Water Moderated Energy Reactors with electric output of 440 MWe which use slightly enriched uranium (maximum average enrichment of fuel assembly is 4,38% of uranium-235 isotope). Units were designed on the basis of the Russian (former Soviet) project by the Czech company Energoprojekt Praha. Czech companies were also substantially involved in the implementation of the project – key components of the primary and secondary circuit were produced in Škoda Plzeň (reactor pressure vessels, turbines, turbine generators) and Vítkovice (steam generators, pressurizers). Dukovany fuel has been from the very beginning supplied by Russia.

Since its putting into operation the NPP Dukovany has underwent a number of modifications further increasing its operational safety. Large modernization is now in progress at Dukovany NPP with the aim to upgrade I&C, measurement and regulation systems, fuel cycle and fuel itself as well as modifications of turbine and generator. Part of the process is also power uprate - the first, second and fourth unit have reached power of 460 MWe, the third unit even 500 MWe – similar increase in power is being planned also in three other units in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Though designed lifetime of Dukovany NPP is 30 years (which in case of its first unit means by 2015), its operator and licensee (ČEZ Company) has already launched a Long Term Operation (LTO) Programme to extend its lifetime. The LTO Programme is closely linked to the ongoing modernization of Dukovany key components.

According to international statistics, NPP Dukovany belongs to 20% of the best operated nuclear power plants worldwide, and is, together with our second NPP Temelín, on the top as regards radiation protection of personnel.

You can find more information about Dukovany NPP on ČEZ company web pages.

Information about daily operation of individual units of both Czech NPPs is available on SÚJB web. 

NPP Dukovany has been a fourth nuclear power plant put into operation in the former Czechoslovakia. It followed Slovak NPP A-1 at Jaslovské Bohunice (with one heavy water gas-cooled reactor of Russian type KS-150) which was put into operation in 1972 and shutdown after an accident in 1978, NPP V1 (with two reactors of WWER 440/230 type, which were originally planned also for Dukovany NPP, put into operation in 1978 and 1979) and V2 (with two reactors of more advanced type - WWER 440/213 - which have been in operation since 1984 and 1985). Also beginnings of the legal and regulatory activities in the field of nuclear energy are connected with construction and operation of the first light water reactors in the former Czechoslovakia in late 70's.

NPP DukovanyMore information about the ensuring of nuclear safety in the Czech Republic is available also in the latest National Report of the Czech Republic under the Convention of Nuclear Safety