Czech Temelín nuclear power plant gradually switches to new control system

The Temelín nuclear power plant is switching to a new control system. The modernisation, which began three years ago, will be completed in 2028. Temelín will receive the new control system, which is intended to help ensure the plant can operate for at least 60 years, from US company Westinghouse. Plant spokesman Marek Sviták announced this in a press release.

According to Temelín plant director Jan Kruml, the transition to the new system is gradual and is being carried out during outages. "We have transferred all monitoring and control in the first unit’s control room to the new system. Around one-third of the automatic control functions have been transferred. These include, for example, the control of circulating cooling water pumps and spent fuel pool cooling. Other parts of the plant will follow during future outages," Kruml said.

Since the start of the modernisation, technicians have laid, for example, 80 kilometres of cables and installed dozens of servers. "To enable us to operate the plant safely for at least 60 years, and I expect even longer, we must modernise not only the equipment itself but also the control system. Globally, this is a truly exceptional project in both technological terms and scale. Not least because it is being carried out during planned outages without affecting operations, with the utmost emphasis on operational safety," said Bohdan Zronek, ČEZ board member and director of the nuclear energy division.

The Temelín plant, one of Czechia’s two nuclear power sources, covers roughly one-fifth of domestic electricity consumption. Since the start of the year, it has generated 15.8 terawatt-hours of electricity.