Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babiš is pushing the state-run energy producer ČEZ to make a decision regarding the expansion plans of the Temelín nuclear power plant by next spring. The government is hoping to pass a long-term energy plan by the end of the year. ČEZ canceled a tender to build two new nuclear reactors after politicians refused to provide guarantees on energy prices. ČEZ said low energy prices would make the expansion unprofitable. But Babiš wants to see the plans move forward. “Two blocs certainly need to be built,” Babiš told Bloomberg last week. “This has to be planned 20 years ahead of time because of the lifespan of nuclear power plants.”
Korean Electric Power Corp. recently said it would be interested in submitting a bid. ČEZ spokeswoman Barbora Půlpánová, however, has denied the company is preparing another tender. The country’s aging power plants will likely need to be replaced within the next 20 years, while ČEZ’s older Dukovany nuclear power plant will expire around 2034.
