Resource Use and Circular Economy

CEZ Group is aware of the growing importance of waste management and protection of finite natural resources throughout all its operations. Thus, waste is seen as a resource, and principles of circular economy are applied throughout all steps of waste management.

Waste management is based on the Environmental Management System (EMS), which establishes a hierarchy of waste management methods from prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling, and energy recovery to disposal. Waste management is provided by professionally qualified personnel. Specific projects are introduced to reflect our policy and waste prevention.

Circular economy is a sustainable model of production and consumption that extends the lifecycle value optimization of resources and products, reducing waste to a minimum. We have introduced the principles of circular economy into CEZ Group corporate culture, strategy, and processes of our business activities. The Board of Directors of ČEZ, a. s., is responsible for waste management and circular economy through the Environmental Protection and Safety Policy.

The waste management hierarchy is followed in all our activities. Waste is delivered to licensed waste treatment facilities. In 2023, 58% of waste was reused or recycled, and 34% was disposed, of which 28% of waste was sent to a landfill, 8% of waste, predominantly iron scrap from demolitions, remained stored and was handed over for further utilization in the following year.

The more than twofold increase in waste production is related to the demolition of four blocks of the Prunéřov coal power plant. As coal power plants are phased out of operation, technologies are dismantled and obsolete buildings are demolished, resulting in a significant amount of waste. Prior to demolition, we conduct waste screening aimed at identifying reusable equipment / materials and hazardous waste. We manage the demolition to maximize waste utilization. Most of our waste consists of construction and demolition waste originating from the demolition of obsolete structures, and sludges from wastewater treatment, waste metals and municipal waste. Most of our waste consists of construction and demolition waste originating from the demolition of obsolete structures, and sludges from wastewater treatment, waste metals, and municipal waste.

ČEZ Recycling, a subsidiary of ČEZ, a. s., applies the principles of circular economy when taking back discarded photovoltaic panels. This will include batteries in the near future. In 2023, ČEZ Recycling took back 2,368 photovoltaic panels, which is 40,251 tons.

Coal combustion products, and incineration and desulphurization products (4,566,554 t) are subjected to regular testing and certification as part of waste prevention; 99.7% are further used as these products, thus avoiding waste generation. End-of-life products in amount 316 tons were sorted and sent for recycling under the take-back scheme (batteries, accumulators, tires, fluorescent lamps, discarded electrical equipment), thereby prevented from becoming waste.

Data on waste and waste management are reported in accordance with Directive 98/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Decision 2014/955/EU on the list of wastes by waste catalogue numbers and recovery/disposal codes, based on weighing by weight at the time of transfer of waste to the recovery/disposal facility. Data are based on company-wide data collection and waste management data from the companies to which the waste was transferred. The data do not include wastewater or mass from mining that is used for remediation and reclamation works. The GRI 306: Waste 2020 standard has been used for data reporting.

In connection with the demolition of the Prunéřov 1 coal power plant, the production of other and hazardous waste increased significantly in 2023 per MWh of electricity and heat. Nearly 80 thousand tons of waste were produced during the demolition. Besides the waste generated from the demolition, the production of waste remained at the level of the previous year. Hazardous waste accounted for approximately 6.8% of all waste in 2023. The increase in hazardous waste production is again related to the demolition of the coal power plant, mainly waste contaminated with petroleum products.

We manage radioactive waste at nuclear power plants in compliance with Act No. 263/2016 Coll., Atomic Energy Act.

Liquid RAW (radioactive concentrate) from the Dukovany and Temelín nuclear power plants is immobilized in bitumen into a form complying with waste acceptance criteria for disposal. The main process equipment is a film rotor evaporator where the concentrate is mixed with bitumen and water is evaporated. The resulting product is filled into 200-liter drums. Solid waste is compacted or incinerated, melted and supercompacted abroad.

In 2023, there were 29 tracked domestic shipments of radioactive waste from the Temelín nuclear power plant to the Dukovany nuclear power plant site. There was also one international road transport of radioactive waste from Temelín to JAVYS EBO to reduce the by high pressure compaction, and one return transport of radioactive waste after treatment by high pressure compaction from JAVYS EBO to Dukovany. In addition, 5 international shipments of radioactive waste were carried out from Dukovany to the Studsvik Sweden AB incinerator for the purpose of reducing their volume by incineration.

We manage the technological processes of coal and biomass combustion with the aim of utilizing combustion products including fly ash, slag, and desulfurization products (FGD gypsum), in the construction industry. Our target was to reuse at least 98% of the coal combustion residuals by the end of 2023. 83.1% of the CCRs were used for landscaping and terrain shaping, and 16.6% of CCRs were sold for other uses in the construction industry. We sold a total of 402,435 tons of energy gypsum to produce plasterboards and cement. The total of 99.95% of CCRs were utilized or handed over for utilization, both in the certified products regime and in the waste regime.

In CEZ Group, various fuels, such as natural gas, coal, lignite, uranium, and biomass fuels are used to produce electricity, heating and cooling. We prefer locally sourced coal, biomass and materials for flue gas cleaning. In 2023, 31% of fuel for energy production was black or brown thermal coal. In our two nuclear power plants, we used 81 tons of nuclear fuel to produce 30.41 TWh of emission-free electricity. Nuclear resources produced the largest amount of energy in CEZ Group.

Sorbents and reagents for flue gas cleaning at CEZ Group’s coal-fired power plants in Czechia are delivered under long-term purchase contracts. Sorbent deliveries amounted to 697,000 tons in 2023.

Energy consumption within CEZ Group includes all energy consumption, including primary energy (chemically bound in fuels) used to produce noble forms of energy (electricity and district heat).

The most significant item of total energy consumption is the energy chemically bound in fuels used to generate electricity and heating. In addition, the total energy consumption includes own consumption of electricity for electricity production, consumption of electricity for heat supply for heating purposes, consumption of electricity for other purposes (buildings, lighting, etc.), own consumption and losses of process heat, and own consumption of district heating (heating, hot water, etc.).

The energy intensity indicator for electricity and heating production in CEZ Group is expressed as the ratio of energy consumed from renewable fuels, non-renewable fuels (including nuclear fuel) to energy sold (electricity, heat, cold, process steam).