Kazakhstan’s Kazatomprom has signed a seven-year agreement to supply natural uranium concentrate to ?EZ, a major energy company in the Czech Republic. The deal, formalized in Prague, will provide approximately one-third of the uranium required for the Westinghouse fuel assemblies used at the Temelin nuclear power plant. This partnership strengthens Kazatomprom’s presence in the European market.

The official signing ceremony took place in Prague

The agreement enhances ?EZ’s supplier diversity, contributing to the Czech Republic’s energy security. It supports the stable operation of the Temelin plant, which is vital for the country’s electricity needs. Vladislav Baiguzhin, Chief Commercial Officer of Kazatomprom, stated: “With this new agreement, Kazatomprom continues to grow its footprint in the European market and advance its strategy of diversifying sales portfolio. This is another important milestone in our mission to be a partner of choice for the global nuclear energy industry. As we build on our previous contracts, partnerships such as this one with ?EZ, allow us to support energy security in the region while advancing our shared goals of decarbonisation and sustainability.”

Bohdan Zronek, Director of the Nuclear Energy Division of ?EZ, emphasized the strategic value of the partnership, saying: “Securing a partnership with Kazatomprom diversifies our supplier portfolio and is of strategic importance for ?EZ and the Czech Republic. It ensures that our nuclear power plants will continue to have a stable and reliable source of fuel, which is essential for meeting our energy needs and implementing our decarbonisation plan by 2030.”

The Czech Republic relies on nuclear power for about 34% of its electricity, generated by four VVER-440 reactors at Dukovany and two VVER-1000 units at Temelin, operational since 2000 and 2002. The uranium supplied by Kazatomprom will be sourced from global markets, then enriched through existing contracts with companies like Urenco and Orano. Fuel assemblies for ?EZ’s plants are currently provided by Westinghouse and Framatome, marking a shift from previous suppliers.

This agreement aligns with broader efforts to diversify the nuclear fuel supply chain, ensuring reliability and supporting the Czech Republic’s energy and environmental goals. It also complements plans to expand nuclear capacity, including new reactors at Dukovany and Temelin and potential small modular reactors in collaboration with Rolls-Royce SMR.