Czech nuclear power plants generated a record more than 32 TWh of electricity last year

The Temelín and Dukovany nuclear power plants generated a record 32.066 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity last year. This is the highest output ever recorded in a single calendar year. Last year's nuclear generation would cover approximately half a year's consumption across the whole of the Czech Republic. Output will be somewhat lower this year due to outages for fuel replacement. Daniel Beneš, chairman of the board and CEO of ČEZ, said this on the social network LinkedIn. Czech nuclear power plants generated 29.7 TWh of electricity the year before last.

The plants thus surpassed the previous record output from 2022, which stood at more than 31 TWh. The share of nuclear sources in domestic consumption has been rising in recent years. For example, last year they increased their share of domestic electricity generation to more than 40 percent for the first time.

"Reaching the milestone of 32 terawatt-hours from our nuclear power plants is a goal we have been working towards for several years. The most important step was extending the fuel cycles, while we are also systematically making use of opportunities to safely increase the output of Dukovany and Temelín. It is as if we had created an additional nuclear unit," Beneš said.

All six domestic nuclear generating units currently have a combined nominal capacity of 4220 MW, almost 500 MW more than when they were commissioned. In previous years, ČEZ began adjusting nuclear fuel replacement cycles. Dukovany now operates on an extended 16-month fuel cycle. Temelín will complete its transition to a longer operating interval between fuel replacements during this year.

"In the coming years, our output will depend on the duration and scheduling of outages – in addition to fuel replacement and extensive inspections, these also allow investment work and equipment maintenance to be carried out. This year, we face more outages than last year due to the shift in fuel cycles, and this will naturally be reflected in output. Generation will therefore be lower in 2026, but towards the end of the decade we are targeting average annual output of more than 32 TWh," noted Bohdan Zronek, a member of the board and director of the nuclear energy division.

Five of the six nuclear units are currently in operation. The long-planned outage of unit one at Dukovany began on 13 December last year and is expected to end in February. In the same month, Temelín's second generating unit is scheduled to be disconnected from the grid.

Dukovany currently has four nuclear units, each with a capacity of 510 megawatts (MW). A further two units, each with a capacity of approximately 1000 megawatts (MW), are at Temelín in South Bohemia. ČEZ has invested around seven billion crowns annually in the nuclear units in recent years.

Preparations for the construction of two new reactors are also continuing at Dukovany. They are to be built by Korean company KHNP. At current prices, the cost of both units is 407 billion crowns. The first of the new reactors at Dukovany is expected to be completed in 2036. Under a government decision, energy company ČEZ is also expected to negotiate with the Koreans over the next three to five years on an option to build two further units at Temelín.