PRAGUE The controversial Czech nuclear power plant Temelin, fiercely opposed by neighboring Austria, has restarted testing operations after a month-long shutdown, a spokesman said on Saturday.

Temelin spokesman Milan Nebesar said the plant was given permission to launch operations by the State Nuclear Regulator (SUJB) late on Friday evening, and that it would take about 30 hours before nuclear reactions would resume.

The latest shutdown started ahead of planned revisions due to vibrations and a crack on steam piping on Temelin's turbine, in the non-nuclear, power-generating part of the station.

The recent failure has delayed by one month at least the planned launch of a full trial operation, originally planned for May.

The $2.6 billion plant, built just over 50km (30 miles) from Austrian borders, has had a rocky start. Austrian protesters have staged border blockades demanding its closure, and a series of minor failures forced repeated shutdowns since it was first launched last October.

Austria says the station, which combines a Russian VVER-1,000 reactor with a U.S.-made control system by Westinghouse, may be unsafe. Its operator, the government-controlled power company CEZ insists it is a state-of-the-art project.

The Czech government has agreed to conduct an environmental impact study at the station to appease the Austrians, who have threatened in the past to block Prague's path toward EU membership over the plant.

U.S. lawyer Ed Fagan, who made a name representing compensation-seeking Nazi victims and is now representing Austrian opponents of the plant, demanded that Westinghouse submit documents on the delivery of control and safety systems to Temelin.

Earlier this week he said that he would "cause pain in the senior management ranks" if Westinghouse failed to comply by March 20. He did not elaborate on what further measures would be taken.

(Reuter)