Belene bidder involved in illegal repair in Czech nuclear power plant

SOFIA / PRAGUE, 15 March 2006 - Today, Greenpeace informed the Bulgarian Government and the Bulgarian electricity company NEK about illegal behaviour of members of the Skoda Alliance during the building of the Temelin nuclear power station in the Czech Republic. Greenpeace warns that this case shows the attitude of the building industry towards nuclear projects - an attitude that might increase costs and severely impairs nuclear safety. The Skoda Alliance is one of two bidders for building the Belene Nuclear Power Plant in North Bulgaria.

"We know that Skoda Alliance as well as the Czech Government have withheld this information from the Bulgarian Government. We feel that it is only fair that the Bulgarian Government would know what Skoda does not tell, so that it can draw its conclusions," says Jan Haverkamp, nuclear energy expert of Greenpeace in Central Europe. He added: "For us the conclusion is clear: Skoda does not deliver safety on the level that they are supposed to."

The two involved companies are Modranska potrubni a.s. and Skoda Praha a.s..

The incident

The incident Greenpeace informed the Bulgarian Government about took place in 1994 during the building of the first block of the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant in the South of the Czech Republic. In a special fact sheet for the Bulgarian Government, Greenpeace describes that welders of the Czech subcontractor Modranska potrubni a.s., a member of the Skoda Alliance that bids for Belene, welded one of the main cooling pipes 180 degrees wrong to the reactor vessel.

Greenpeace believes that with consent of Skoda Praha a.s. - the main contractor, part of the Skoda Alliance and now owned by electricity giant and Temelin owner CEZ - the welding teams were ordered to make a repair against all prescriptions and regulations and without any external control. The weld was cut on the seam, the pipe turned and rewelded. This causes a dangerously weak spot in the nuclear part of the NPP.

In summer 2000 a witness who participated in the incident contacted Greenpeace.

After Greenpeace informed the authorities about the issue, Skoda and the Czech nuclear regulator SUJB did everything in their power to wipe the incident under the carpet. This included intimidation of witnesses and experts, misleading police, and refusal of access to key inspection reports - refusal even against court order. Documentation has been falsified and disappeared.

At present, the Temelin NPP is still waiting for its final building approval although it already delivers electricity to the net since 2001. The final building approval is partly pending court cases concerning access to information about the incident described here.

The warning

Greenpeace warns that on the basis of its experience with Skoda Alliance, the Bulgarian Government should count with delays and impairments of safe practice, which could lead to heavy increases in costs and increased nuclear risk.

Jan Haverkamp: "This is not a warning against Skoda Alliance specifically - the mess up of the Skoda Alliance in Temelin only illustrates that nuclear power is a risky business. There are alternatives to nuclear power. The Bulgarian Government would be well advised to drop the Belene project and choose really safe and clean energy: energy efficiency and renewable sources. Bulgaria is a rich country in all of these."

The report

There is a report, created by Greenpeace about "The risks of Skoda" and revials the "unsettling facts on the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant concerning faulty welding work and documentation in Temelín block 1". It is 10 pages long, and it is downloadable as a PDF version from the web.

"The risks of Skoda"

TIMELINE

1994: A faulty weld to the reactor vessel of Temelin block 1 is repaired in a dangerous and illegal way by Skoda Alliance member Modranska potrubni a.s. under supervision of Skoda Praha a.s.

Summer 2000: A witness stands up and informs Greenpeace about the issue. The witness is scrutinised by international experts and found credible.

Autumn 2000: Czech nuclear regulator SUJB is informed about the issue and starts an investigation. The witness identifies the weld as weld number 1-4-5. The police receives from SUJB, CEZ or Skoda false information and is misled in its investigations.

October 2000: Temelin block 1 is made critical and starts delivering electricity from early 2001.

January 2001: Temelin operator CEZ sues Greenpeace for damages and diffamation but withdraws from the case by not appearing in court.

Early 2001: SUJB inspectors issue report 15/2001 in which the severe irregularities in welding work, including weld 1-4-5, are published. SUJB supresses the report and orders a new investigation as well as an external investigation.

Summer 2001: SUJB issues report 43/2001 in which some irregularities in welding work by the firm Modranska potrubni a.s. are found, but weld 1-4-5 is *not* investigated. External expert prof. Jaroslav Nemec issues his report and also did *not* investigate weld 1-4-5.

From summer 2001 Greenpeace tries to lay its hands on SUJB inspection report 15/2001 and other crucial documentation. SUJB refuses to give access to this information. The Czech Supreme Court rules in Greenpeace’s favor in December 2004. SUJB refuses again. The Czech Supreme Court rules for the second time in Greenpeace’s favor in November 2005. In January 2006, SUJB refuses again. Greenpeace has once more appealed.

2005: During two longer halts of the Temelin NPP, CEZ has the quality of welding seams in block 1 investigated. The results show severe shortcomings in quality. The report is suppressed and the case is kept out of publicity.

31 Januray 2006: Skoda Alliance offers its bid for the Belene NPP