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Czech nuclear plants to get uranium from Kazakhstan Prague, April 15 (AFP) Apr 15, 2025 The Czech Republic has signed a deal to buy uranium from Kazakhstan as it seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian fuel supplies for its nuclear power plants, state-owned utility CEZ said Tuesday. The Czech Republic -- which controls about 70 percent of CEZ -- relies on two nuclear power stations in the southern villages of Temelin and Dukovany for 40 percent of electricity consumption. CEZ stated that supplies from Kazakhstan's national uranium mining company, Kazatomprom, would cover about one-third of the uranium needed for fuel assemblies provided by US-based Westinghouse to the Temelin nuclear plant. Temelin has been running on Westinghouse fuel since 2010. CEZ spokesman Ladislav Kriz refused to give details of the deal including the price and timing. He said Westinghouse would also replace TVEL as fuel supplier to Dukovany this year based on a 2023 contract. "The switch is gradual. Westinghouse will begin to supply fuel from this year, but Dukovany is still getting Russian fuel now," he added. CEZ also has a deal on fuel supplies for Temelin with France's Framatome. The Czech Republic, an EU member of 10.9 million people, promotes nuclear energy as it shifts from burning fossil fuels to greener technologies. The Czech government is expected to sign a deal on the construction of at least two new nuclear units at Dukovany with South Korea's KHNP in the coming weeks. With the two new units and small modular reactors due to be built by 2050, nuclear energy is expected to account for 50 percent of the Czech energy mix. Kazatomprom has also recently signed a deal on nuclear fuel supplies with Switzerland which is seeking to relaunch its nuclear power industry. frj/kym/lth
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