Wedoany.com Report-Apr. 21, Kazakhstan’s National Nuclear Company, Kazatomprom, and Czech power company ČEZ have entered into a contract for the supply of Kazakhstani natural uranium concentrate to fuel Czech nuclear power plants (NPPs). Over the next seven years, Kazatomprom will provide approximately one-third of the uranium required for Westinghouse fuel assemblies used at the Temelín NPP. The signing ceremony took place at ČEZ’s headquarters in Prague.

ČEZ operates six nuclear reactors across two sites: four VVER-440 units at Dukovany and two VVER-1000 units at Temelín. These facilities generate about one-third of the Czech Republic’s electricity. The agreement strengthens Kazatomprom’s presence in Europe and supports its strategy to diversify sales channels in the global uranium market.

Vladislav Baiguzhin, Chief Commercial Officer at Kazatomprom, stated: “With this new agreement, Kazatomprom continues to grow its footprint in the European market and advance its strategy of diversifying sales portfolio. This is another important milestone in our mission to be a partner of choice for the global nuclear energy industry. As we build on our previous contracts, partnerships such as this one with ČEZ allow us to support energy security in the region while advancing our shared goals of decarbonisation and sustainability.”

Bohdan Zronek, Board Member and head of the Nuclear Energy Division at ČEZ, said: “Securing a partnership with Kazatomprom diversifies our portfolio of suppliers and has strategic importance for ČEZ and Czech Republic. It ensures that our nuclear power plants will continue to have a stable and reliable source of fuel, which is essential for meeting our energy needs and driving our decarbonisation plan (VIZE 2030) to achieve net-zero goals.”

Previously, fuel assemblies for ČEZ’s NPPs were supplied by Russia’s TVEL. Currently, Westinghouse from the U.S. and Framatome from France provide these assemblies, sourcing uranium from the global market and contracting companies like Urenco and Orano for enrichment. This agreement with Kazatomprom enhances the reliability of the fuel supply chain for ČEZ’s operations, contributing to the Czech Republic’s energy stability and sustainability objectives.