Press releases pg. 72

Last year, the production of electricity in CEZ increased by more than 11 per cent in comparison with 1999 and, with the value of 50 842 GWh, represented a record performance since the foundation of CEZ in 1992. It is the extended electric power export that can be found behind this increase, by means of which a compensation of 8.5 per cent fall in electricity sales to domestic customers could be managed.

Tightness checks of Unit One containment at Temelin nuclear power plant have started their second half. The twenty-four hour guaranteed measurements checking tightness of the containment at the positive pressure of 70kPa will be completed today at 8 p.m. The test proper in which fifty NPP and contractors' workers have been directly taking for five days part will be finished in the night from this 3rd to 4th August.

"CEZ has generated for the first half of this year the profits after taxes amounting to CZK 3 billion, i.e. more by CZK 2.5 billion (430 %) compared with the same period of the preceding year. This considerable growth is, however, considerably influenced by the favourable development of provisions for exchange-rate variances due to a better rate of exchange of CZK, modified structure of our debt in foreign currencies and also to the fact that the comparison base of the last first half-year had included the discontinuation of retrofit of Tusimice I power plant..."

The new elected supervisory board of the power-generation company CEZ has elected today at its first meeting Ms. Milada Vlasakova to be its chairperson after resignation of Mr. Frantisek Brozik. CEZ board of directors also revoked three of its members - the Chairman Theodor Dvorak and members Stanislav Svoboda and Zdenek Duba.