Modernization of Czechia's Dukovany plant has cost 67 billion since its first unit started 40 years ago

Modernization and maintenance of equipment at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant cost more than 67 billion crowns from 1985 through last year. The first of Dukovany's four generating units entered trial operation 40 years ago, with the remaining units following over the next two years. ČEZ, which operates the plant, plans further investment in the units so they can supply electricity for 70 years or more. The company said this today in a press release.

ČEZ is currently investing around three billion crowns a year in Dukovany. Its plans include renewing control and instrumentation systems and replacing cabling and safety systems. At the same time, it is preparing to build two more units at the site. „We are now very close to concluding an agreement with the preferred bidder,“ said Daniel Beneš, ČEZ chairman and CEO. Following the tender, the new units are expected to be built by South Korea's KHNP. They are scheduled to start operating in 2036 and 2039.

Trial operation of Dukovany's first unit began on 3 May 1985. The second unit has been operating since 1986, and the other two units at Dukovany came online the following year. Since it started operating, the older of the Czech Republic's two nuclear power plants has generated more than 525.000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, equivalent to the Czech Republic's total consumption over nine years. The plant's annual output of around 15 terawatt-hours (TWh) covers roughly a fifth of annual electricity consumption in the Czech Republic.

Around 3000 people work at Dukovany, including plant employees and staff of supplier companies. More than 150 of them had worked there for 40 years or more at the beginning of this year. ČEZ said the plant's operations support up to 30.000 jobs in the wider Dukovany area.

The plant site covers 126 hectares, and the fence around the secured area is six kilometres long. The construction of the Dukovany plant was also linked to the Dalešice reservoir and pumped-storage power plant, which began operating in 1978. Together with the Mohelno waterworks, it was built primarily to provide a water supply for Dukovany.

The Czech Republic has six nuclear units at two power plants. The Temelín plant has been operating since 2000.