Czech: Dukovani targets 80 years in operation.

Czech energy group ČEZ has officially begun preparations to extend the operating life of four reactors at the Dukovany nuclear power plant to an astonishing 80 years. This move, following global trends, would make Dukovany operational until the mid-2060s, cementing the Czech Republic's position as a nuclear leader in Central Europe

Four VVER-440 units at Dukovany began operating between 1985 and 1987. Thanks to continuous modernization, their capacity has already been increased from the initial 440 megawatts to 512 megawatts per unit. Although the original plan was a service life of 60 years (to 2047), ČEZ now considers the plants to be in excellent condition and that 80 years of operation is a realistic goal.

“80 years is becoming a global trend”

ČEZ's CEO, Daniel Beneš, emphasized that economic and safety analyses confirm the viability of this plan. “Electricity consumption will grow rapidly, and the Czech Republic needs as much power as possible without emitting harmful gases,” Beneš stated, adding that extending the operation of existing reactors does not change plans to build new APR-1000 units (in cooperation with the Korean KHNP) and small modular reactors (SMRs).

Rigorous inspection and a general overhaul of the machine halls

Extending the operating life to eight decades is not just a bureaucratic process. Bohdan Zronek, director of the Nuclear Energy Division, notes that power plants undergo demanding “periodic safety assessments” every ten years. The modernization plan includes refurbishment of generators in the machine halls, reconstruction of piping, valves and electrical systems, as well as the gradual introduction of completely new control and safety systems.

In any case, it again shows that extending the life of old nuclear reactor blocks is the most cost-effective way to obtain baseload energy and that it is even more sustainable if the profits from existing plants are used to finance new projects. We also add that a huge number of reactors worldwide, especially in the West, are waiting for the extension of their lifespans. When the current generation of reactors was designed — in the 1970s — the planned operating life was about 40 years (20+20), but primarily due to the assumption that future technology development and next-generation reactors would be relatively rapid and that during that time period new models would be developed and there would be no need to anticipate an operating life longer than four decades. Nevertheless, the rapid halt of nuclear energy development in the late seventies and eighties, then restart after 2011, halted the development of reactors of new generations, so all those operating current and existing reactors are forced to extend the operation of the existing ones.

Currently, the oldest operating reactor is Beznau in Switzerland, which has been in operation since 1969.