European enrichment company Urenco has signed new contracts with Czech electricity company ČEZ which will guarantee the supply of enriched uranium until the 2030s. ČEZ has been a customer of Urenco for more than 20 years. The enriched uranium will be used for the Dukovany and Temelin nuclear power plants.

Both companies were welcomed at the British Embassy in Prague by Ambassador Matt Field. Urenco Sales Manager Sarah Riedel said: “I am proud that we have extended our long-standing relationship with ČEZ, helping the Czech Republic strengthen its energy security. ČEZ has long championed supply diversity and is a leader in the field of new nuclear energy in Europe. We look forward to supporting ČEZ with enriched uranium for their new reactors, large and small.

Bohdan Zronek, ČEZ Board Member and Director of the Nuclear Energy Division, said: “We have been cooperating with Urenco for 20 years and the newly concluded contract paves the way for further long-term cooperation. Our task is to ensure the safe operation of our nuclear power plants. And through supplier diversification and contracts with stable companies, we are simultaneously strengthening the energy security of the Czech Republic.”

Currently, the American Westinghouse and the French Framatome supply the latest fuel assemblies for ČEZ nuclear power plants. Four VVER-440 units are currently in operation at the Dukovany site, which began operating between 1985 and 1987. Two VVER-1000 units are in operation at Temelín, which began operating in 2000 and 2002. Nuclear accounts for approximately 34% of Czech production. Electricity of the Republic.

In line with European Union policy, ČEZ initiated a process of diversifying its fuel suppliers by launching a tender in 2018. Previously, fuel was supplied by the Russian oil company TVEL. CEZ still has some TVEL fuel assemblies in storage for the two nuclear power plants, including fuel for at least a year for Dukovany.

In 2022, contracts were concluded with Westinghouse and Framatome for VVER-1000 units in Temelin. In 2019, six test fuel assemblies from Westinghouse were inserted into the core of the Temelín 1 reactor to verify their properties and the results are currently being evaluated by experts from Westinghouse and ČEZ. Westinghouse fuel was previously used at Temelín from 2002 to 2009, but following technical problems, including fuel deformation and incomplete rod insertion, TVEL was selected as the fuel supplier.

TVEL won a tender in 2006 for a 10-year fuel supply contract with delivery starting in 2009. The plan was to gradually introduce TVEL fuel, but in 2009 ČEZ decided to immediately switch to fuel TVEL in 2010 and the remaining Westinghouse Fuel was removed. Westinghouse later redesigned its VVER-1000 fuel following similar problems in Ukraine.

However, Westinghouse has only recently designed fuel for VVER-440 reactors, which is currently being tested at the Rivne nuclear power plant in Ukraine. ČEZ said that for Dukovany, Westinghouse would use fuel based on Rivne’s design.

While Russia has provided all fuel supplies, Framatome and Westinghouse are only responsible for final assemblies. Uranium must be purchased on world markets and then enriched. Besides the contract with Urenco, ČEZ also has a long-term uranium enrichment contract with the French company Orano. Agreements on Orano’s conversion and enrichment services were signed in 2023 for the Temelin nuclear power plant and in March 2024 for Dukovany.

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