In June 2025, the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant in the Czech Republic took delivery of its first batch of nuclear fuel assemblies from U.S. company Westinghouse. This marks the plant’s first use of American nuclear fuel, replacing earlier reliance on Russian suppliers.

The move is part of a broader initiative by Czech utility ČEZ Group to diversify its nuclear fuel supply chain. Czech energy security strategy accelerated in 2018, with ČEZ launching a tender for alternative suppliers. By 2022, Westinghouse and France’s Framatome were contracted to supply fuel to the country’s larger Temelín nuclear plant. In 2023, ČEZ finalized a separate deal with Westinghouse to supply Dukovany as well.

The newly delivered VVER fuel, produced at Westinghouse’s Västerås facility in Sweden, meets the highest safety standards and is compatible with other reactor fuel types. The fuel is also designed for extended operational cycles—16 months at Dukovany and 18 months at Temelín—boosting efficiency. ČEZ projects this will help raise the country’s annual nuclear power output from 30 TWh to 32 TWh by 2030.

For American firms and policymakers, the delivery underscores the growing role of U.S. nuclear technology in strengthening European energy resilience and reducing dependency on Russian sources. Westinghouse’s presence in the Czech market reflects strategic U.S.–Czech cooperation in nuclear energy and broader transatlantic industrial ties.

Source: www.irozhlas.cz

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