OREANDA-NEWS. September 17, 2008. A delegation of mayors of Czech cities and villages situated near Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant (Hrotovice, Mohelno, Zakrany, Rapotice, Rouchovany, Dukovany) visited TVEL on Sept 10–12 2008. Among the delegates were also representatives of CEZ Group, ALTA and Dukovany NPP.

The visit was organized by TVEL and CEZ for raising Czech officials’ awareness of the work of nuclear power plants.

Vice President of TVEL Konstantin Sokolov met with the Czech guests. He pointed out that TVEL highly valued its business ties and friendship with Czech colleagues. “We are always glad to show the merits of our fuel to our consumers,” he said.

The delegates visited one of the oldest companies of Russia, Mashinostroitelny Zavod (Elemash) in Elektrostal, Moscow region.

They visited the workshops producing fuel elements and fuel assemblies for the Czech NPPs, met with the technical director of Elemash Igor Petrov and the deputy head of the administration of Elektrostal Vadim Davydov.

Deputy Director of Dukovany NPP Jaroslav Vlcek said that TVEL’s fuel was of very high quality: “We have used your fuel for over 20 years and have had no problems with it so far. It is an excellent fuel. It is good that we all have seen how you produce it. Now I am sure that our cooperation will go on for many years.”

Petrov told the guests that each year Elemash spends over 1,000,000,000 RUR on re-equipment and modernization. Today, TVEL’s is focused on innovative development. Long-term contracts are a good basis for innovative activities: high predictability encourages the company to more actively invest in research, development and modernization.

Spokesman of CEZ Group Petr Spilka thanked TVEL for the excellent opportunity to visit Elemash: “Your openness and readiness to inform your customers about your products is worthy of respect. I am sure that during this visit we will find answers to all of our questions.”

The guests said that they in the Czech Republic had local civil commissions on the safe use of nuclear fuel whose mission was to strengthen people’s confidence in nuclear energy. Mayor of Dukovany Milos Kudera said that the visit was an opportunity for him to see with his own eyes that TVEL produced and supplied to the Czech Republic very safe and high quality products. “I will tell my compatriots that you produce very good fuel,” Kudera said. Mayor of Rapotice Marsela Smekalova expressed regret that not all commissioners were able to see TVEL’s technologies: “I have worked in such a commission for just a year and this is my first visit to Russia. I am happy that I have seen with my own eyes how nuclear fuel is produced. I have seen that this is a safe process and I will them my compatriots about it. I regret that they cannot see it themselves.”

Technical Director of Elemash Igor Petrov pointed out that such visits had become a socially significant tradition allowing TVEL to strengthen its contacts with consumers and to show its openness and innovativeness. In Oct 2007 Elemash received a delegation of mayors of cities and villages situated near Temelin Nuclear Power Plant. This plant also works on the fuel fabricated by TVEL.