Work to upgrade the Temelín nuclear power plant in line with European Union stress tests is to be completed by the end of this year, the plant's director, Bohdan Zronek, said yesterday. Czech utility ČEZ published Zronek's comments that were made to local media to mark the 15th anniversary of the plant.

The Czech cabinet has approved an action plan on nuclear energy, providing for future construction at both the Temelin and Dukovany nuclear sites.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team of nuclear safety experts has completed an assessment of how ČEZ has followed up on safety recommendations issued during an earlier review. ČEZ is the Czech Republic's largest electricity company and the operator of the country's two nuclear power plants, Temelín and Dukovany.

The share of nuclear power in the Czech Republic's electricity generation mix is expected to rise from about 35% currently to between 46% and 58% by 2040. The target is part of the pro-nuclear elements of a long-term energy strategy - ASEK, according to its Czech acronym - which the country's trade and industry ministry published yesterday.

TVEL, the Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer, plans to export the first batch of nuclear fuel elements with secondary neutron sources to the Temelin nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic in April.

The Czech Republic and Jordan have agreed to cooperate in the peaceful development of nuclear power with the signing of a memorandum of understanding during Czech President Miloš Zeman's visit to the Middle Eastern country.

Government plans for the further development of nuclear power in the Czech Republic suggest that CEZ should be the main investor in the construction of new reactors.

The Czech government plans to invest CZK4.5 billion ($188 million) over the next two years on remediation work to address the Cold War legacy of uranium mining in Stráž pod Ralskem.

State-owned Czech utility CEZ has sent an expression of interest for a 66% stake in Slovak utility Slovenské Elektrárne, which is currently owned by Italy's Enel, CEZ spokesperson Barbora Pulpanov told World Nuclear News today. The Slovak economy ministry holds the remaining 34% stake.

Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator Energoatom and Czech engineering company Škoda JS have signed a memorandum of cooperation and an agreement on confidentiality.

The Czech environment ministry has given its approval for initial geological surveys to begin at seven candidate sites for a national repository for high-level radioactive waste.

The Rožná uranium mine in the Czech Republic will continue operations until mid-2017, Czech Republic minister of commerce and industry Jan Mladek said during a visit to the mine in Dolni Rozinka last week.