Czech

Prague move of Rosatom
Apparently, the Russian side managed to get confirmation from the Czech on depoliticization of the competition. In turn, the Russians have confirmed their readiness to take a most active part, and, of course, fight for victory.
Honestly it was some fears that the Temelin competition will be politically-biased. There are too many partisans of talks-about-energy-dependence-on-Russia in the Czech Republic and abroad. They insist that any new VVER-1000 reactors in the Czech nuclear plants will deepen this alleged dependence.
The Russians argue. If new Temelin units will receive the Russian-designed reactors, it will benefit the energy independence of the Czech Republic.
So, what are the arguments of Moscow? The Russian bid will consider the incredibly high level of localization, up to 70%. Even more, Russia is ready to transfer know-how to the Czech factories. It means they will have an ability to produce basic equipment for all Russian-designed nuclear plants in the future.

Russia nuclear program is opened for EU companies
In the future, European companies could receive orders from Russia for billions of euros for the construction of next generation nuclear power plants in different parts of the world.
The Rosatom State Corporation currently have contracts for the construction of 29 nuclear power units till 2030, while 10 of them are located in the Russian Federation and 19 - abroad. Two Bulgarian units at Belene NPP are included.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nuclear power is very promising technology. Since about 70% of human beings live at conditions of energy deficit, the IAEA predicts the imminent construction of 350 nuclear units in the next 20 years at various locations around the world.
The Rosatom pretends to construct some 30% of it. This means that the value of orders to subcontractors would be over 300 billion euros till 2030.
To cope with this, Russia needs to invest and to expand its own production base but it could be not enough. Many large foreign customers including the Chinese government demand the maximum localization, or involvement of local sub-contractors.

Rosatom ready to mine uranium in Czech Republic

Atomenergomash Acquires 51% Stake in Chladici veze Praha, Czech Cooling Tower Manufacturer

OMZ to sell Pilsen Steel for 125.6 mln euros

The tender leaves in the sky
The Temelin tender promises to be the most fun of all tenders for the construction of nuclear facilities, announced in the world in recent years. Mysterious Chinese mandarins and fruity Arab sheikhs were changed in the organizer chair by the Czechs, and in each Czech has a small fraction of the Good Soldier Schweik. Briefly, it will not be bored.
Certainly one of the bidders was in hurry and the Prague publishing house Argo printed the fantastic story The music for Anvilans (Hudba pro Anvilany).
Plot the story fit into three lines. Russian soulless corporation Energaz added two units to the Temelin NPP and immediately blocked ~~Uranium Pipe~~ supply lines of fuel and spare parts. But this was not enough for wily Russian, and they sold the Earth to the strangers in exchange for new types of energy. Rather, they would sell if it were not Czech engineer, who halts the expansion together with the ghost of suspiciously British nationality.
To make a competitor Black Lord in the best-selling science fiction - this is perhaps a new word in the history of world competitions.

Temelin tender: Westinghouse went to restaurants
The cavalry is arrived on the Temelin tender in the Czech Republic. After the first round of bidding, three dozen companies are dropped out who have taken tender documents just to read. As predicted, in the second round only three left - the Czech-Russian consortium with the project MIR, AREVA and the alliance Westinghouse and Westinghouse.
Doubling of words in the preceding paragraph - not an corrector error. The American company Westinghouse came to tender along with his Czech daughter. A simple in its genius move will allow the Americans to ensure that, where appropriate, the localization level would be equal to 100%. The subcontractors nationality is less concern for the Czechs than that of the general contractors. Nevertheless, from 30 to 40 Czech companies have already fallen to the list of future performers in the event of victory of the Americans.
AREVA Group waiting for change. In Paris, a report is about to be prepared by the Roussely commission with considerations on how to reorganize the French nuclear industry.

Czech machine builders preserved nuclear potential
Work upon the nuclear program at Skoda enterprises started in 1956 - nearly 100 years after Skoda company foundation. In 1974 Czech factories joined in with VVER reactors equipment producing.
1980 and 1989 were important years for the Skoda nuclear sector when first VVER-440 and VVER-1000 reactors, correspondingly, were built there. From 1993 nuclear division was privatized and reorganized into Skoda-JS s.r.o. - company that became a subsidiary of Skoda industrial holding. Beginning from 1999 Skoda-JS is a stock company.
2004 is a new stage in Czech nuclear machine building industry development. Russian company OMZ became an owner of Skoda-JS. Today Skoda-JS considers itself to be the leader in the sphere of supplies for the nuclear industry in the Middle Europe. Personnel of the Czech company is 760 employees.
Preliminary financial performance of Skoda-JS in 2007 was rather favorable. Total proceeds made up 98,351 mln. euro including the following sectors:

Ukraine may pay liability for any accident on VVER-1000 with Westinghouse fuel

Yuri Stuzhnev: Ukraine-Westinghouse contract is very dangerous play with fire

Westinghouse totals in Czech

TVEL supported a Russian young piano player’s concerts in Czech Republic

TVEL will become the only supplier of nuclear power for Czech and Slovak NPP

Czech NPP to start using Russian fuel in 2009 - TVEL

Daily roundup from Russia - February 15

Hero of the day

Belarusian-1 has been connected to the grid

The first kilowatt-hours of electric energy delivered by the Belarus NPP to the unified power grid system is a landmark to manifest the beginning of the nuclear age for the Republic of Belarus.

INTERVIEW

Vladimir Kriventsev
The International Atomic Energy Agency brings together the fast reactor and related fuel cycle community and countries and the wider public interested in these technologies by organising the International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles: Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future or FR21.

OPINION

Vyacheslav Kupriyanov,<br>Victor Murogov

Vyacheslav Kupriyanov,
Victor Murogov
To sum up, we can say that from above we see a set of tasks and areas of activity that must be solved and developed to build the nuclear power of the future, and from below we see an understanding of how it can be done.