International review 'backs suitability of Czech sites'
The mission, made up of six specialists from France, Japan and Switzerland plus an independent observer from Austria, took place under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency and focused on seismic safety assessment of both sites.
They spent the first three days at the Temelín nuclear power plant, where their checks included the seismic control stations, before moving to the Dukovany plant, where the visit also included seeing a prototype of a seismograph which can be located directly in the power plant.
"The preliminary summary of the inspection confirms the correctness of the selection of both sites for the location of existing or new nuclear sources," but the official results will only be received in the coming months, said Bohdan Zronek, Director of CEZ’s Nuclear Energy Division.
The inspectors looked at both the existing production units - whose seismic suitability has been regularly checked over decades - and the areas earmarked for proposed ones.
"Stable subsoil is one of the key factors for the location of nuclear facilities. We confirmed the suitability and resistance of both sites against strong shocks and their very low probability when conducting detailed studies for the construction of new sources," said Tomáš Pleskač, Director of CEZ’s New Energy Division.
The Czech Republic uses nuclear power for about a third of its electricity, generating this from four reactors at Dukovany and two at Temelin. There are proposals for two new units and space for a small modular reactor at Temelin, as well as a new unit at Dukovany.
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