The Czech government appears to be moving quickly to enable the country’s largest energy company ČEZ to build a new reactor at the Dukovany nuclear power plant. The estimated cost of the investment, roughly CZK 160bn, has long been the only real barrier to the project, so this no longer appears to be an issue for deputy prime minister Karel Havlíček. “The state will finance it directly. It can borrow extremely cheaply,” he said. Continuing with his financing pitch, he said that ČEZ would have to pay 10 percent interest if it borrowed from commercial banks and concluded that the state could offer a far better deal. “Two of the three contracts between the government and ČEZ for the construction of a new power block at Dukovany will be signed by the end of June.” At the same time, a tender for the company that will build the new reactor is being prepared. Havlíček revealed that negotiations with the European Commission have been going on for months now and that he expected the state’s plan to be approved.
