Britain’s NNC intends to take part in modernising the control and management systems at the Czech Republic’s Dukovany nuclear power plant. The company has been preparing for the multi-million-dollar investment, with financial support from the European Union, since 1990. NNC will complete preparations for modernising the management and control systems of one of the Dukovany units in 2000. Meanwhile, total modernisation of the plant’s four units, financed by the CEZ power utility, will continue until 2008.

“Control and management systems are items which age quickly…that’s the main reason for the changes,” NNC’s Prague manager, Mirek Dostal said.

Other reasons include the high price of maintenance and the fact that spare parts, which currently come from countries of the former Soviet Union, are often unavailable.