Temelin nuclear power plant has already been under the international supervision for a long time

The repeated request raised by the Austrian party to inspect the nuclear safety of Temelin NPP on the international level is breaking into an open door. In Temelin NPP this request has been performed already since the spring 1990, in Dukovany 1989 even from September 1989. Commencing from 1990 twelve extensive IAEA missions of Vienna and numerous other international analytical groups visited Temelin NPP. Thousands of hours of work of the experts resulted in recommendations for improvement of NPP design. The power-generation company CEZ gradually integrated into the project and implemented these recommendations. Naturally, such recommendations brought about delays in terms and increases in the cost of construction.

"CEZ being the investor of Temelin NPP exerted great efforts to improve the design. Most safety requirements have been performed, others are being intensively implemented. Programs in all fields of recommendations are prepared in compliance with safety approaches of developed countries," stated, for example, IAEA mission in its final report as long ago as in 1996.

The final assessment of Temelin NPP nuclear safety and licensing of its operation as per the "Atomic Act" are the sole responsibility of the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety. So far, a different approach has never been used anywhere in the world. The state inspectors have spent a long time with their foreign, meaning, western, partners. Therefore, they know very well the "safety culture" in these countries and do not hesitate to demand it in Temelin NPP. For that, they have sufficient powers and means as stipulated in the Czech legislation in force. "The new Czech nuclear legislation complies with international standards and the State Office for Nuclear Safety is an independent supervisory body as required by the international convention," reads the report concerning the Czech Republic of last April when fifty countries, including the Czech Republic, ratified in IAEA headquarters in Vienna the international Nuclear Safety Convention. The main objective of the Convention is to achieve and maintain a high level of the global nuclear safety, improvement of national measures and international cooperation.

"So far, there is no unified system of standards in the EU in the field of safety standards. Each of the countries has its own system of national standards, nevertheless, there is a basic agreement of standards (due to the development of nuclear power-generation in both Europe and the world) as applied in individual countries," added Ladislav Kriz, CEZ press spokesman.

The power-generation company CEZ is aware that the completion of Temelin NPP has been carefully watched not only in the Czech Republic, the preparation of the NPP for the start of operation has been carefully monitored by both professional and lay public in whole Europe. "We wish to demonstrate to all of them that the nuclear power plant has been completed with maximal care. That is also why the "International Council for Scientific Management of Starting-up" had been established earlier this year. In addition to representatives of Czech universities, the Council also includes experts from Austria, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Russia and the United States. All of them can see on the very spot our approach to the starting-up and to all preparations for fuel loading and activation in the reactor. We have nothing to hold back," said Kriz.

In addition to the above mentioned facts, the bilateral, inter-government agreement of October 1989 between the Czech Republic and Austria concerning nuclear power plants has been performed. Negotiations are held under the presence of experts of both parties. Commencing from May 1990, the same agreement is in force also with another neighbor, Germany.

"This cooperation is illustrated, for example, by the information exchange with the German supervisory body for nuclear power plants GRS (Gesselschaft fur Reaktorischerheit und Anlagen) to which we answer all their questions and provide all documents related to the nuclear safety of the NPP, including the Preoperation Safety Report. The cooperation is in progress above all between the Czech SONS (State Office for Nuclear Safety) and German GRS. CEZ, however, provides also other information. GRS will be soon presenting to the Federal Ministry for the Environment its report of the nuclear security of Temelin NPP, and we believe the report will be a next evidence of safety of Temelin NPP," said Kriz.

CEZ knows that the sum of information is unlimited, that is why it organized this year a seminar about the Czech nuclear power engineering directly in the center of European events, in Brussels. Besides, two exhibitions concerning the same subject took place in Brussels, one directly in the European Parliament building. With the aim to improve "the information of Europe" about the Czech nuclear power engineering, CEZ opened last year its representation office directly in Brussels.

Although the basic project for Temelin NPP is from the early eighties, also due to the improvements carried out as a result of the "international supervision" it will be fully comparable with the safest nuclear power plants in the world regarding its technical design and safety functions.

Ladislav Krizpress, spokesman of CEZ

18. 7. 2000