Czech nuclear power operator ČEZ and municipal heating company Teplárny Brno have signed agreements with regard to a twenty-six-mile pipeline from the Dukovany nuclear power plant to benefit two hundred and fifty thousand people in the city of Brno.
The strategic contracts signed cover the transport of heat from the Dukovany units to the boundary of the power plant according to ČEZ. In addition, they cover agreement on future contracts which are a condition for steps towards the construction of the heating pipe. Work is scheduled to begin in 2027 and due to take about four years.
The companies say that the cogeneration production of heat will help Brno, the Czech Republic's second largest city, to cut its use of natural gas. The transport of heat from Dukovany will cover about fifty percent 50% of its heating needs. The pipeline is being designed to avoid built-up areas. It will have tunneled sections, including one stretch of 3600 feet in the Bobrava Nature Park.
The projected cost of the plan is eight hundred and eleven million dollars with part of the cost to be met by possible European Union subsidies as well as possible financing from commercial institutions.
Petr Fiala is the Czech Prime Minister. He said, “The construction of the heat pipe is an important step towards energy self-sufficiency and independence for Brno. If we have been saying for a long time that the basic energy source of the Czech Republic should be nuclear energy in the future, then this project fully meets the requirements and criteria. We will use the heat from the nuclear power plant, we will get rid of dependence on other fuels and we will ensure safe supply of heat to households and institutions.”
Daniel Benes is the ČEZ CEO. He said that he was glad the project was moving forward, adding, “South Bohemia and our Temelín nuclear power plant, which uses a new heat pipe to supply heat to České Budějovice, can be an example of good practice in the use of nuclear sources for heat production.”
Jiří Herman is the chairman of the board of Teplárny HeBrno. He said the project will provide more stability for heating prices for Brno. “This will fundamentally reduce the sensitivity of the price of heat to fluctuations in energy prices. Even if we consider the price of heat after 2030, the calculations show us that compared with the current price level, we can expect a positive impact - a reduction - on the price of heat.”
Four VVER-440 units are currently in operation at the Dukovany site. The site began operating between 1985 and 1987. Two VVER-1000 units are currently in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002.
The prime minister made a visit to the plant earlier this week for the announcement. He also held meetings with mayors of nearby towns and villages about plans for new nuclear power capacity at Dukovany. Fiala noted that five hundred million dollars of transport measures and said the aim was to minimize any negative impacts on the area during construction of the new reactors.