Another successful year for ŠKODA JS

According to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), ŠKODA JS achieved revenues from the sale of products and services of almost 4.7 billion crowns and a pre-tax profit of over 244 million crowns. In both indicators, the results are better than in 2018, in sales by almost 15%, in profit by almost 4%. Also in 2019, ŠKODA JS was actively seeking for new opportunities and projects. Contracts worth 3.2 billion crowns were signed for the next period.

Stably, it carried out the largest part of its services on foreign markets, the export of goods and services reached a value of over 3.2 billion crowns and, as in 2018, it accounted for 68% of the company's revenues. The company supplied its goods and services to 12 countries, with Slovakia and Ukraine traditionally having the highest share, followed by Hungary. 

“Continuity of quality, reliability and innovation is a basic criterion of our work. We are at the forefront of technical development, we include new and higher customer requirements and domestic and foreign legislation in our work. We not only monitor the development of nuclear energy, but we also create it,” said František Krček, General Director of the company. "The key to success is not only technical and technological continuity, but also human continuity. The optimal mix of our team combines the experience of long-term employees with the enthusiasm of the younger ones. The ŠKODA JS team consists of people used to working in an international environment, cooperating with domestic and foreign partners, suppliers and investors. We are strong in production, engineering and service of equipment. We are in contact with potential bidders for the supply of key parts of new nuclear power plants (NNP) not only in the Czech Republic, but also abroad,” he added. “As for NNP in the Czech Republic, a realistic estimate is that domestic companies could be able to secure at least 70% of supplies. To what extent this potential will be used, of course, depends on which supplier model the investor will choose and how strongly the selected supplier will focus on cooperation with Czech companies. In any case, I am sure that it is in the power and abilities of Czech industry to play a very important role in the construction of the NNP. My conviction is based on experience both from the implementation of dozens of projects at Czech nuclear units and from the construction of units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce NPP, in which Czech companies, including ŠKODA JS, played a very significant role.”

In 2019, Engineering again had the strongest share in the company's results, more than 49%. The project "Completion of Units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant" in Slovakia remained key for this segment and for the entire company, where the preparation for the start-up of Unit 3 is almost completed and works continue on the completion of Unit 4. Successfully completed or ongoing projects to replace the control system of the Hungarian Paks NPP and the modernization of Ukrainian nuclear power plants also contributed to the results.

The share of the Service segment increased to almost a quarter. ŠKODA JS is constantly expanding the range of activities for the maintenance of six Czech nuclear units in Dukovany and Temelín, which are provided on the basis of a framework agreement with ČEZ. The year 2019 also brought challenges in the form of new tasks, such as the modification of feed water distribution in the steam generators at the Dukovany and Temelín NPPs. At the Slovak Bohunice V1 power plant, steam generators were dismantled from the box and the reactor vessel disassembly was prepared, whereby ŠKODA JS confirmed its qualification in the field of NPP decommissioning.

In line with the company's strategy and current projects, the share of the Production segment in the company's sales increased significantly, reaching almost 26%. As part of a beginning program, ŠKODA JS will supply casks of its own design for both Czech nuclear power plants, deliveries of casks abroad also continue. The production of control and regulation elements for VVER type reactors is also significant. Work has begun on the production of two sets of internal parts for the 1600 MW EPR reactor pressure vessel for Framatome, where the final user is the the Hinkley Point C in the United Kingdom.

The company is constantly renewing its facilities and equipment, and in 2019 it spent 156 million Czech crowns on the acquisition, modernization and repair of fixed assets. After the merger with the subsidiary ŠKODA Slovakia a.s., which took place on 1 August 2019, our company had 1,117 employees (at the end of 2019).