Czech Lawmakers to Discuss Russian, Chinese Bids on Construction of NPP Unit - Minister

PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) The representatives of the Czech ruling coalition will meet with the leaders of opposition parties on Wednesday to discuss the participation of state-run China General Nuclear Power (CGN) and Russia's Rosatom in the tender for the construction of a new unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant (NPP), Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek said on Tuesday.

On July 28, the CEO of Czech energy company CEZ, Daniel Benes, said that the tender for the construction of the Dukovany NPP's new power unit would be launched in December. Rosatom and CGN applied to participate, causing resentment among Czech opposition parties that urged the government to remove the companies from the tender, citing security concerns.

"This meeting, on Wednesday, will not result in a final decision. It is rather a discussion on economic options, as well as on security that are inseparable one from another. All participants of the meeting will have documents on similar projects in other countries.

They describe consortiums, prices, technologies in detail. Our aim is not to delay the tender, but to finally gather all documentation," Havlicek said at a press conference.

The Czech Republic is currently operating two nuclear power plants, the Dukovany NPP and the Temelin NPP, which were constructed based on Soviet projects. Nuclear fuel for both NPPs is supplied by Rosatom. The Dukovany NPP is located in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic and has four power units with a total capacity of 2,040 MW.

The construction of the fifth unit, planned for 2036, would increase the plant's capacity to 3,240 MW. So far, six companies have applied to participate in the tender Rosatom and CGN, as well as the United States' Westinghouse, France's Electricite de France, South Korea's KHNP, and Atmea, a joint project of France's AREVA and Japan's Mitsubishi.