Unveiling Nuclear Prospects: Semantic Visions’ In-Depth Look at Czech Energy Aspirations

The Czech Republic has held a presence in the nuclear energy industry since 1985, currently operating two Nuclear Power Plants: Dukovany with four units, and Temelín, which commenced operations in 2002 and comprises two units. These facilities, designed with Russian VVER technology, contribute around 36% of the nation’s total electricity production.

Government Initiative for Nuclear Expansion

In response to the European energy crisis and the imperative of ensuring energy security, the Czech government has expressed its intention to enhance its nuclear energy capacity. Semantic Visions launched global media monitoring and analysis for developments concerning the new tender for the expansion of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant. This initiative, launched by the government in 2022, has garnered the participation of three bidders: US-based Westinghouse, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), and French company EDF. Excluding Russian and Chinese companies from the bidding process in 2021 stands as a significant point to emphasize. We have slated the announcement of the bid winner for March 2024.

Media Monitoring and Analysis

Leveraging a search and analysis framework encompassing 12 languages, Semantic Visions’ approach underscores the comprehensive assessment of all relevant Czech news coverage, alongside scrutiny of original material in languages such as Korean.

Key Developments Since March 2023:

Record-Breaking Electricity Generation

In 2022, both nuclear facilities achieved record-breaking electricity generation (1). The Czech Republic’s aspirations for nuclear expansion hold the potential to not only involve local industries in the expansion endeavor but also to significantly shape the country’s energy landscape.

Westinghouse Contract

In March, Westinghouse signed a contract with Czech utility ČEZ (2) for the supply of nuclear fuel for the Dukovany nuclear power station. Subsequently, in April news emerged that the litigation between the bidders Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Westinghouse was expected to end with a U.S.-South Korea summit (3) scheduled for that month, but the litigation remains unresolved. (4)

Environmental groups initiated legal action against the European Union’s (5) executive branch in April, aiming to impede the inclusion of natural gas and nuclear power generation in the list of sustainable activities.

Nuclear Alliance Meeting

The Nuclear Alliance meeting in Paris on May 16 saw the Czech Minister Sikela (6) advocating for EU-support in the nuclear power industry. This meeting emphasizing its potential and the necessity for equitable conditions across low-carbon sources, spanning financing, investment, education, and more.

Tender for Temelín Nuclear Power Station

Czech state energy company ČEZ unveiled a tender in May (7), valued at 3.6 billion Czech koruna, targeting the replacement of generators at the two-unit Temelín nuclear power station between 2028 and 2030.

IAEA Mission in the Czech Republic

In May, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission in the Czech Republic ended (8). The mission emphasized the country’s commitment to strengthening its nuclear and radiation safety regulations. It identified opportunities for improvement, especially in overseeing new facilities and activities aligned with national energy plans.

Korean-Czech Investment Discussions

Noteworthy international interactions unfolded in June, as the Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo discussed investment and cooperation prospects with the Czech parliament, advocating for Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company’s bid (9).

Later this month the Škoda JS Director General, František Krček, shared insights expressing confidence in the Czech industry’s ability to contribute substantially to new nuclear plant projects. Including small modular reactors (10).

Closure of Rosatom’s Czech Activities

In June, Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear concern, closed its Czech activities by removing itself from the commercial register, and all employees left the company. (11).

Semantic Visions Technology and AI-Driven Insights

By leveraging our advanced media monitoring capabilities, combining NLP and AI, we are able to quickly detect all reported events within our focus area. Semantic Visions’ technology is capable of providing instant insights into key events, categorizing the reported findings within a list of 500 event types and delivering a precise alert about its effects on the monitor entities. In this case, we quickly extracted all relevant events reported on the topic and created an informative intelligence report on the Dukovany and Temelín nuclear plants.

What’s even better is the fact that this can be done without a German native speaker. As part of our technology stack, all articles are processed in their native language so we extract meaning and message without any machine or human translation. All models that Semantic Visions deploys are trained in the native language, so our customers can rely on high-precision alerts across all 12 languages without ever worrying about language challenges.

1. https://www.diepresse.com/6233739/temelin-und-dukovany-produzierten-2022-rekordmenge-an-atomstrom?from=rss
2. https://www.nucnet.org/news/westinghouse-and-cez-sign-vver-440-fuel-deal-for-dukovany-nuclear-plant-3-5-2023
3. https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20230217/3965665/1
4. https://www.kedglobal.com/energy/newsView/ked202308020008
5. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/18/eu-faces-legal-action-gas-nuclear-green-investments-guide-european-commission
6. https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/nuclear-alliance-aims-for-150-gw-of-nuclear-power-in-eu-by-2050/
7. https://www.nucnet.org/news/cez-launches-tender-for-new-generators-at-temelin-nuclear-power-station-5-4-2023
8. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-mission-reviews-czech-regulatory-framework-for-nuclear-safety
9. https://www.mzv.cz/seoul/en/economy_and_trade/meeting_with_the_korea_hydro_nuclear.html
10. https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Skoda-hope-Czech-firms-to-get-big-share-of-new-nuc
11. https://english.radio.cz/russias-rosatom-ceases-its-activities-czechia-8787701

Meta description:

Explore the latest developments in the Czech Republic’s nuclear energy industry, from expansion initiatives to international interactions. Learn how advanced media monitoring and AI technology empower Semantic Visions to provide valuable insights across 12 languages.

Nuclear energy, Dukovany, Temelín, Nuclear expansion, Media monitoring, AI technology, Westinghouse, KHNP, EDF