Payments into Czech SÚRAO account rise by more than a third this year, reaching CZK 46bn

Fees paid into the nuclear account, which finances the activities of the Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (SÚRAO), have risen by more than a third this year. Producers of radioactive waste, primarily ČEZ, will now pay CZK 88 for each megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated at a nuclear power plant. ČEZ paid more than CZK 1.76bn in fees last year, and is expected to pay more this year. SÚRAO spokeswoman Martina Bílá and ČEZ spokesman Ladislav Kříž told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). At the end of last year, the nuclear account held more than CZK 46.3bn.

By law, producers of radioactive waste must contribute to the nuclear account, which is administered by the Ministry of Finance and held at the Czech National Bank. The largest contributor is the state-controlled company ČEZ, as the operator of the Dukovany and Temelín nuclear power plants. Other entities that generate radioactive waste through their activities also pay fees. These include research institutes and facilities using radionuclides in medicine or industry. However, their contributions are orders of magnitude lower than those from the energy sector.

Until last year, the amount paid by nuclear power plant operators was CZK 55 for every MWh generated. This year, a government decision raised the contribution to CZK 88 per MWh generated. It is expected to remain in force until 2030.

Following record output of 32.066 terawatt-hours from its Czech nuclear units last year, ČEZ paid CZK 1.76bn in fees. The figure was CZK 1.63bn the year before. This year, the contribution is therefore expected to rise again despite lower anticipated generation.

According to SÚRAO, other producers of radioactive waste pay CZK 38,124 for the disposal of waste in a packaging unit of around 216 litres. Under the law, money in the nuclear account may be used exclusively through SÚRAO to fulfil tasks defined by the Atomic Act and included in its activity plan.

SÚRAO is a state organisation responsible for the safe management of radioactive waste in Czechia. It currently operates several repositories for waste from nuclear power plants, as well as from industry, research and healthcare.

The authority is also preparing a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste, which cannot be placed in existing surface repositories. The repository is intended to permanently store, half a kilometre underground, mainly thousands of tonnes of spent fuel from nuclear power plants. The state is expected to select the most suitable site by 2030. The authority is working with four potential repository sites: Horka and Hrádek in the Vysočina region, Janoch near Temelín in South Bohemia, and Březový potok in the Klatovy region.