RUSSIA-CZECHREPUBLIC-NUCLEARPLANT-TENDER
Moscow, June 27 (Interfax) – The Russian-Czech consortium MIR.1200, which involves the Russian state nuclear power corporation Rosatom and Skoda JS of the Czech Republic, submitted on Monday a bid for the building of the second line (generating units 3 and 4) at the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant in the republic, says a statement from CJSC Rosatom Overseas – the client for the Russian part of the tender bid.
Rosatom Overseas’ Executive Vice President Leos Tomicek told the press, “Study and selection of the best proposal will continue for about a year after the submission of the bid and, as expected, in the summer of 2013 CEZ (the state company Czech Energy Plants, the construction client) will announce the winner of this tender.”
Tender proposals consist of three parts: commercial and technical proposals and proposals as to nuclear fuel.
Tomicek said the consortium is suggesting “the standard design resolution NPP (nuclear power plant)-2006 with a VVER reactor – that project, which Russia will build at Leningrad NPP-2, Baltic NPP in Kaliningrad Region, and in Belarus, adapted for the already chosen construction site in the Czech Republic and with adjustments to the seismic parameters, containment, and other things, per strict European Union requirements.
Tomicek said the Russian-Czech proposals have three main advantages. First, “conservative design from the standpoint of safety – we have a full range of active and passive safety systems.” Second is that the proposed blocks “even to the professional” very much resemble the existing first and second units at the Temelin plant, built under a Soviet project some time ago. “CEZ, in particular, can make use of the practice of that maintenance base that is used primarily, it can easily and inexpensively re-qualify any co-worker from the first two blocks to work on the third and fourth – this will take a matter of months,” Tomicek said. Third, the Russian project involves localization of more than 70%.
Earlier, Rosatom’s General Director Sergei Kirienko announced Russia’s readiness to take part in financing the building of the second Temelin line.
At present, Tomicek said, Russia is not engaged in negotiations with the Czechs over project financing. “I’m almost certain that CEZ will not make any decision regarding partnership or financing until the technology is chosen in summer 2013,” he said.
Expectations are, he said, that a contract with the winner of the tender will be signed before the end of next year. Then, the licensing and design phase will take 44 months after the contract comes into force. Construction of the new units should begin in 2017.
CEZ announced the tended in August of 2009. There are three contenders for the construction contract: a Russian-Czech consortium involving CJSC Atomstroyexport, OKB Gidropress (a Rosatom company), and Skoda JS; France’s Areva NP; and the Japanese-U.S. Westinghouse, whose majority shareholder is Toshiba.
Rosatom Overseas is not a member of the Russian-Czech consortium, Tomicek said, but is responsible for coordinating Rosatom organizations in the context of participation in the tender.
Right now the Czech Republic has two operating nuclear power stations: Temelin (two generating units with VVER-1000 reactors) and Dukovany (four units with VVER-440 reactors), which were built under Soviet projects.
[RU CZ EUROPE EEU EMRG ENR ENV]
15:32:57 EET-2
