CEZ Group

"CEZ has generated for the first half of this year the profits after taxes amounting to CZK 3 billion, i.e. more by CZK 2.5 billion (430 %) compared with the same period of the preceding year. This considerable growth is, however, considerably influenced by the favourable development of provisions for exchange-rate variances due to a better rate of exchange of CZK, modified structure of our debt in foreign currencies and also to the fact that the comparison base of the last first half-year had included the discontinuation of retrofit of Tusimice I power plant..."

After the fuel charging in the reactor of Unit One has been successfully completed on 14th July 2000 by completion and sealing of the reactor by IAEA of Vienna on Wednesday, 26th July, the preparation of the unit for the reactor start-up continues with another important test. That is the reconfirmation test of containment started today. The containment is the basic security element and the fourth barrier between the nuclear fuel and the environment round the nuclear power plant. The containment also protects the most important parts of the nuclear power plant from external effects.

All seismologic stations within Temelin monitoring network recorded this Tuesday, 11th July 2000, at 0450 hours local time the main tremor caused by the earthquake in Lower Austria near the village Ebreichsdorf, some 25 kilometers from Vienna. According to the analysis performed by the Institute of Physics of the Earth at the Masaryk's University in Brno, the maximal value of ground shifting at the locality of Temelin NPP was 13 micrometers for the prevailing frequency of 4Hz.

The repeated request raised by the Austrian party to inspect the nuclear safety of Temelin NPP on the international level is breaking into an open door. In Temelin NPP this request has been performed already since the spring 1990, in Dukovany 1989 even from September 1989. Commencing from 1990 twelve extensive IAEA missions of Vienna and numerous other international analytical groups visited Temelin NPP. Thousands of hours of work of the experts resulted in recommendations for improvement of NPP design.

On Wednesday, 5th July 2000 at 3.45 p.m., the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SONS) permitted CEZ to charge fuel in the reactor of Unit One. "Our Office fully observed the Atomic Act and related regulations in the permitting proceedings for fuel charging in the reactor of Temelin NPP Unit One. At the moment there is nothing in Temelin NPP to prevent its starting up," commented SONS decision its chairperson Ms. Dana Drabova.

The new elected supervisory board of the power-generation company CEZ has elected today at its first meeting Ms. Milada Vlasakova to be its chairperson after resignation of Mr. Frantisek Brozik. CEZ board of directors also revoked three of its members - the Chairman Theodor Dvorak and members Stanislav Svoboda and Zdenek Duba.

The demand for electricity has increased in the period from this January till April by 2.3 % (by 431GWh) compared with the same period in the last year, up to 11,117 GWh, continuing the trend from the first quarter when the demand had increased by 2.3 %. In April alone the demand increased by 2.4 %. The growth of consumption occurred in the first four months in the industry where the annual growth was 6.3 %.

By execution with the Czech Nuclear Pool of insurance policies for Temelin nuclear power plant, the power-generation company CEZ performed on Monday, 5th June, one more of the conditions stipulated for putting the NPP into operation. Liability insurance concerning the operation of the NPP before nuclear fuel is charged in reactors is one of important conditions upon performance of which the State Office for Nuclear Safety may grant, as per the so-called Atomic Act, the license to operate a new nuclear facility, i.e. to operate Temelin nuclear power plant.

Temelin nuclear power plant will be having "Calling Days and Seeing of Generation Unit One" during 19th - 21st May and 26th - 28th May 2000. At present, Temelin NPP is undergoing preliminary tests and revisions of devices. Nuclear fuel will soon be charged in the reactor.

According to Article 15, Paragraph 4 of CEZ Articles of Association, the Board of Directors may appoint (co-opt) substitute members pending the next general meeting providing that the number of its members elected by the general meeting did not drop below a half.