The Czech Republic needs four new nuclear reactors – two at the Dukovany nuclear power plant in South Moravia and two at Temlin in South Bohemia. This was confirmed by Czech Environment Minister Petr Hladik on Sunday during a debate on Czech Television (CT).
The minister said: “The discussion now is only about when.” According to him, the government wants to decide by the end of June how many new reactors will eventually be built.
He surprised Conservative Liberal Prime Minister Peter Fiala some time ago by announcing that he wanted to order up to four new reactor blocks in one fell swoop. The current tender, which originally only stipulated the completion of a new reactor at Dukovani by 2036, was immediately expanded.
Hladik said on Sunday that it was clear that the Czech Republic would need four new reactors. The time frame in which it will be necessary to build it is discussed. The service providers' offers will determine the number of blocks that the government will award in the current tender. According to Hladik, the decisive factor in the choice will be that the reactor blocks ensure long-term low electricity prices and energy security. If it turns out to be beneficial to operate all four reactors at the same time, the government will decide it that way, Hladik said.
At the end of January, the government asked France's EDF and South Korea's KHNP, which remained in competition for the giant contract, to submit binding offers to build up to four new reactors at Dukovany and Temelin. The two companies have until the end of April to do so. It was said that the government should then announce the winner in the summer as well as the number of reactors it wants to build.
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