EIA/IC/CI/10 Czechia

Lifetime extension of units 1-4 at Dukovany nuclear power plant. Dukovany nuclear power plant is situated in the south of Czechia, 32 km from the border with Austria (100 km from Vienna), 173 km from the border with Germany, 119 km from Poland and 74 km from Slovakia. It operates four pressurized water reactors type VVER 440/213 providing 2040 MW electrical power in total.

Unit 1 has been in commercial operation since 1985, unit 2 since 1986, and units 3 and 4 since 1987.

Based on the information made available to it on 27 July 2016 by four non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Oekobuero and Global 2000 (Austria), Jihočeské matky and Calla (Czechia), questioning compliance by Czechia with its obligations under the Espoo Convention in relation to the lifetime extension of four reactors at the Dukovany nuclear power plant, and information gathered by the Committee since 2016 from Czechia, as party of origin, Austria and Germany, as potentially affected Parties, Slovakia, Poland and the NGO Aarhus Konvention Initiative Germany, the Committee began at its fifty-third session (Geneva, 10-13 May 2022) a Committee initiative further to paragraph 6 of the Committee’s structure and functions.

It preliminarily concluded that the activity fell under the scope of the Convention and that there was a profound suspicion of non-compliance by Czechia with its obligations under the Convention regarding the lifetime extension of units 1 to 4 of Dukovany nuclear power plant. Further to paragraph 9 of the Committee’s structure and functions, the Committee agreed to invite Austria, Czechia and Germany to take part at its next session to participate in the discussion and to present information and opinions regarding the activity. The Committee prepared a non-exhaustive list of questions regarding the activity on which it would base its discussions with the Parties concerned.

The Committee further agreed that it would be important for it to examine the matter in the context of future decision-making procedures regarding similar activities, including for units at Dukovany and other nuclear power plants, such as Temelin. The Committee added a limited number of questions regarding that plant to its non-exhaustive list of questions. The Committee invited the Parties concerned to provide written replies thereto by 5 September 2022.

Czechia and Germany responded to the questions in writing on 5 September 2022, Austria on 20 September 2022. The Committee through the secretariat distributed the information received from the Parties concerned among the other Parties concerned inviting them to provide their views on each other’s positions in advance of the hearing. On 26 September 2022, Germany submitted comments to the letter of Czechia dated 5 September 2022.

The Committee welcomed the delegations of Austria, Czechia and Germany to its fifty-fourth session (Geneva, 4-7 October 2022) and invited them to present information and opinions on the matter. It then questioned the three delegations. It welcomed, among other things, clarifications from Czechia regarding the time frame of operation of units 1–4 of Dukovany nuclear power plant.

The Committee then moved to the preparation of its draft findings and recommendations with a view to considering them at its fifty-fifth session (Geneva (online), 31 January – 3 February 2023).