Czechia progresses on new nuclear unit as three companies bid for contracts

The construction of a new nuclear power unit has moved forward with binding bids accepted from US-Canadian Westinghouse, France’s EDF and the Korean company KHNP, announced ČEZ’s Director of New Energy Division Tomáš Pleskač.

The new unit will be built in the existing Dukovany nuclear power plant, which belongs to the state-owned company ČEZ.

“We are pleased that the strong interest of all three bidders in the construction of a new nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic has been confirmed. We have seen careful preparation from all bidders since the tender was launched in March last year,” said Pleskač.

“Now we will evaluate the bids and, according to the contract with the state, we will submit the evaluation report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and then to the Czech government for final approval,” Pleskač added.

Westinghouse, EDF, and KHNP were the only companies that could apply as no others met the Czech requirements – which included barring Russian and Chinese companies from applying to the tender, following a previous decision of the Czech government.

According to the current timetable, contracts with the selected bidders should be concluded within the next year, with construction set to start in 2029.

ČEZ expects the new unit to be ready for testing as early as 2036, although this could prove challenging as many nuclear power projects across Europe are facing significant delays.

“Future electricity generation will be based on renewable and nuclear energy sources. Nuclear’s share of generation will be around 40% by the end of 2030. It is a stable and emission-free source, an important element of the Czech Republic’s energy security and self-sufficiency,” said Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela.

In 2022, nuclear power generated 37% of electricity in the country, while coal accounted for 48%.

With Czechia’s coal phase-out scheduled for 2033, three years ahead of the planned completion of the new nuclear power plant, the country still needs to secure alternative energy sources.

(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)