TL: CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE PROGRESS OF THE COMPLETION OF THE
TEMELIN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC-Exec. Summary
SO:Antony Froggatt, Greenpeace International (GP)
DT:December 4, 1996

December 1996
 
Executive Summary.                        
 
Construction began at the Temelin nuclear power plant, in the
then Czechoslovaki a in 1983.   At the time four VVER 1000
reactors were planned, each of them the 320 design.   However,
following the political changes in the region in 1990 units 3
and 4 were abandoned. 
 
Despite the VVER 1000 reactors being the most modern of the
Soviet designed reactors they still have a number of significant
and serious design flaws.   In the last decade a number of
western institutions have undertaken research into the safety of
the VVER 1000 reactors which have shown a significant number of
safety concerns.   In particular:-
 
*  the layout and shape of the core.
*  instrument and control technology.
*  fire protection systems.
*  Quality control.
 
In March 1993, the Czech Government gave the approval for the
completion of the two remaining reactors and called for tenders
for the "upgrading" of their instrument and control systems and
to supply the first fuel.   In May that year Westinghouse was
awarded the contract above ten other western suppliers. Since
then serious allocations have appeared in the Czech press
accusing Westinghouse of having inside knowledge of other
companies bids.  

Westinghouse was awarded $330 million contract for their work,
which was later backed by a $317 million United States export-
import Bank credit guarantee.  

The proposed completion of the reactor was the focus of huge
international and national opposition, which culminated in a
delegation of the Austrian Chancellery visiting Washington in
the month prior to the final decision of the export-import Bank. 
Despite concerns from Senate and House  committees which had
oversight over the ex-im procedures, the Bank approved the loan
on March 10th 1994.
 
In March 1993 it was stated that unit 1 would be operable at the
end of 1995. Within months of the ex-im loan guarantee being
signed information was made available which showed that the
expected start up date had already slipped to the end of 1996. 
 The latest dates released show a start up date of 1999-2000,
four years later than expected when Westinghouse become
involved.  

The final loan agreements were signed on 3rd December 1996,  32
months after the export-import Bank gave its approval.    
 
The ever increasing delays are caused by combination of legal,
technical and bureaucratic problems.   Of greatest concern are
the technical complications which have arisen.   Under "normal"
circumstances the completion and commissioning  of a reactor is
a highly complex process, however in the Temelin case the
reactor is being completed by different technicians and using
different technology.    The interface between Eastern and
Western technology is an untried development at this late stage
of construction and was recognised as problematic by the
auditors of the construction programme.   The latest example of
this was reported in the Czech newspapers in October 1996.  
This stated that due to problems of interfacing the Westinghouse
instrument and control systems with the existing Soviet
material, 5000 Km  of newly installed electrical wiring would be
susceptible to interference.
 
Over and above the conceptual problems of completing the
reactor, the Temelin projects has been besieged with problems of
past construction.   The quality control of past construction is
extremely difficult to guarantee especially when there is
limited access, due to the late stage of construction.  
As a result the official cost of construction of Temelin has
steadily increased since Westinghouse became involved.   The
latest figure estimate the total cost to be about 76 Billion
Czech crowns (4.24 Billion DM),  a 16% increase of remaining
construction since Westinghouse became involved. However, Skoda
officials have stated the cost would be as high as 88 billion
crowns.
 
Over and above the additional construction costs,  the delays
have caused additional financial problems.   If these are added
to the overall project costs, even when taking the official
construction costs, i.e. the most conservative, the overall
project costs have increased by nearly 80% since Westinghouse
became involved.
 
The delays and cost over-runs for Temelin have had a profound
effect on the electrical industry in the Czech republic.  By
causing some of the highly polluting coal powered stations to
remain operational, due to no lack of replacement power and the
scaling down of a retrofitting programme for fossil fuel plants,
due to lack of finances.   Despite all the claims it is clear
that Temelin has had a negative affect on the air quality in the
Czech republic.  

The Temelin project is an important example of how Western
nuclear companies and financing institutions have pushed the
completion of substandard nuclear power plants in Eastern
Europe.    In the recent years and months the consequences of
this action are becoming clearer, with rising costs, increasing
delays and mounting technical problems.   
 
Unfortunately, the lessons are not being learned from the
Temelin experience. In Ukraine, Western governments, represented
by the G7 and European Union are promoting the completion of two
VVER 1000 reactors at Khmelnitsky and Rovno, while loan
preparations are being prepared for a similar reactor at
Kalinin.  

The construction of the Temelin nuclear power plant must be
abandoned to enable investment in alternative energy sources and
to avoid the risk of another disastrous accident in a Soviet
designed reactor.