Temelin to use only Russian fuel from 2010

20 October 2009

[Reuters, 20 October] Czech utility CEZ will immediately switch to nuclear fuel supplied by TVEL of Russia for its two-unit Temelin nuclear power plant in 2010, instead of phasing in its use as previously planned, according to CEZ spokeswoman Eva Novakova. As a result, CEZ will lose money on the unused fuel that it has already bought from Westinghouse, which was originally contracted to supply fuel for the two VVER-1000 reactors. In May 2006, CEZ awarded TVEL a ten-year contract for the supply of fuel for the units. CEZ said that the Russian fuel would boost the output of the reactor, making it more cost efficient. "The unused fuel will certainly be a loss, but on the other hand it will be compensated by being able to increase the output of the reactor," according to Novakova. CEZ had considered using both types of fuel temporarily at Temelin but decided that option would be far more complicated than simply not using the Westinghouse fuel.