The power company CEZ (CEZPsp.PR) said in a statement that the shutdown occurred after a minor technical glitch, adding that the Soviet-designed station's reactor had already begun producing power again.

``Tests will continue after achieving the required level of output,'' CEZ said in a statement. It added that the failure occurred in the plant's non-nuclear secondary circuit.

Sunday's emergency closure was the third unexpected automatic shutdown since the plant was launched for trial operation last October.

Temelin, upgraded with a U.S. safety system, is some 50 km (30 miles) from the border with Austria, which had threatened to block the Czech Republic's bid to join the European Union until the two countries agreed last month to conduct an environmental impact study at the plant.

Temelin has one operating 981 megawatt VVER-1,000 reactor and another one under construction.

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-- Anonymous, January 08, 2001