A development of small modular reactors at the Czech Republic's Temelín nuclear power plant would be known as the South Bohemia Nuclear Park, according to a memorandum to set up the park signed by the utility ČEZ, the South Bohemian government, and the UJV Rez research organisation.

ČEZ of the Czech Republic has been granted a licence to continue operating Temelín 2. The reactor has operated for 20 years and ČEZ hopes for another 40 years of operation at least.

The preliminary conclusion of an experts' review of the sites for existing and new nuclear power units in Czech Republic is that they were selected correctly, CEZ says.

Westinghouse of the USA and Framatome of France have been awarded a long-term contract by Czech utility ČEZ for the supply of nuclear fuel assemblies to the Temelín nuclear power plant.

Westinghouse Electric Company has signed Memorandums of Understanding with ten companies in the Czech Republic covering cooperation on the potential deployment of an AP1000 plant for the Dukovany unit 5 project as well as other potential AP1000 projects in Central Europe.

ČEZ has set aside an area at the Temelín nuclear power plant as a potential location for the Czech Republic’s first small modular reactors. It says the site will not impact on plans to build two more large-scale units.

The Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague has obtained permission from the State Office for Nuclear Safety to build the VR-2 research reactor. Construction and commissioning of the subcritical reactor is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

The Czech Republic’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has officially given its approval after completing the safety assessment of the three approved bidders - EDF from France, Westinghouse from the USA and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.

Czech utility ČEZ and Slovak radioactive waste management company JAVYS have extended their cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation to collaborate on the management of aging equipment and the reduction in volume of waste in nuclear power plants.

Czech utility ČEZ expects to announce the tender process for a new reactor at Dukovany in February, CEO Daniel Beneš said in an interview with public broadcaster Český rozhlas. The company is ready to accelerate and expand its nuclear plans to potentially build four new reactors in light of the EU Taxonomy.

Support for nuclear energy has jumped to 65% in the Czech Republic with some 93% of people in the country wanting it to remain self-sufficient in electricity generation, according to a recent poll by IBRS.

Škoda announced it has completed development of a geological disposal package for the Czech Republic's used nuclear fuel. Made of corrosion resistant steel, it is a hermetically sealed container for the highly radioactive used fuel assemblies from its VVER reactors.