en.Wedoany.com Reported - The planned outage of Unit 4 at the Czech Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant is expected to conclude by mid-June, with the exact timing dependent on the results of various inspections.

The unit has been offline since April 17. Radek Doležal, spokesperson for the Czech power company ČEZ, stated that energy technicians are currently inspecting key equipment and the reactor pressure vessel, and the fuel has been removed from the reactor. Subsequently, workers will replace approximately one-fifth of the fuel assemblies with new ones.

Inside the reactor, a modular inspection system is checking the condition of the large pressure vessel. Bohdan Zronek, a member of the ČEZ Board of Directors and head of the nuclear division, said: "Work related to the long-term operation of nuclear units is crucial. For example, the reactor pressure vessel is a component we do not plan to replace, so we must have absolute certainty about its condition."

On one of the plant's steam generators, experts are using eddy current testing methods to inspect over 50 kilometers of heat exchange tubes. Roman Havlín, Director of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, stated: "We are also inspecting the main circulation pumps and isolation valves. A total of 18,000 work orders have been prepared for this outage maintenance."

During each outage, specialists replace about one-fifth of the fuel assemblies in the reactor. This time, 78 out of 349 fuel assemblies need to be replaced. The two Czech nuclear power plants have been gradually transitioning to an operating mode with extended fuel cycles.

Since 2024, the standard fuel cycle at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant has been 16 months, meaning the unit operates continuously for 14 months between two outages, followed by just over a month of outage maintenance. The Temelín Nuclear Power Plant will complete its transition to an 18-month fuel cycle this year. ČEZ stated that this adjustment aims to increase electricity generation, utilize nuclear fuel more efficiently, and reduce equipment load.

The Czech Republic currently has six nuclear units across its two nuclear power plants, which together generated 32.066 terawatt-hours of electricity last year. Nuclear power holds a significant position in the Czech electricity mix and is also considered an important source for ensuring a stable power supply.

The four units of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant were commissioned successively between 1985 and 1987. According to ČEZ's current expectations, these units could potentially operate for up to 80 years after commissioning, meaning they would run until 2065 to 2067. The construction contract for two additional new units at Dukovany has been awarded to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP).

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