According to statements by both the supplier and the customer, the equipment that converts the energy of steam passing through the turbine into electricity is among the largest in Europe. "Thanks to their replacement, Temelín should continue to increase its output while strengthening its regulation capabilities. ČEZ has launched a tender for the largest investment in the history of existing nuclear power plants in 2023," said its spokesman Ladislav Kříž.

The best offer, which also includes fifteen years of service for the new equipment, was submitted by Doosan Škoda Power.

"Generators are among the largest and most important devices in a nuclear power plant," said Kříž. The genetarors are directly connected to one high-pressure and three low-pressure turbine components and currently supply 1,086 MW of electricity to the transmission grid. As the turbines approach the end of their service life, ČEZ has decided to replace them during unit outages in 2029 and 2030. This replacement also provides an opportunity to further increase the output of the largest Czech energy source.

Since the launch of its nuclear units, Temelín has gradually increased its output by a total of 500 MWe (megawatts of electricity). This is a huge amount of electricity, comparable to a very large coal-fired power plant, but without the associated increase in emissions, land use, and other negatives. This process continues with the generator replacement.

According to the director of Doosan Škoda Power Daniel Procházka, the turbine units themselves are unique in Europe from a technical standpoint. They weigh over 2,000 tons, have a total length of 65 meters including the generator, and the circumferential speed of the blades is more than twice the speed of sound. The Temelín turbines are among the largest and most powerful assemblies of their kind in Europe.

Doosan in Plzeň exports up to 90 percent of its turbines. Its annual sales reach approximately five billion crowns. With more than a century of tradition, the engineering works, which have a nearly 10 percent share of the global steam turbine market, produce and supply equipment with a capacity of three to 1,200 megawatts. They are used in steam-gas, coal, nuclear, cogeneration, and solar power plants, as well as biomass incinerators.

Prepared by foreign office CzechTrade Romania

Source: e15.cz