The Czech Industry and Trade Ministry estimates that the state-run power conglomerate ČEZ Group should be the investor in the construction of new nuclear units. The decision on building new nuclear power plants is controversial as CEZ does not want to invest into them without additional financial support from the European Union (EU) or the state. The Czech government has rejected any state guarantee on electricity prices and has reiterated its previous stance.
The group already operates four VVER-440 reactors at the Dukovany nuclear power plant (2,040 MW) and two VVER-1000 reactors at the Temelín plant (2,160 MW) and expects to built a new unit ad Dukovany. The replacement of the older reactors with new units is viewed as crucial for the country’s energy security. It should also help it phase out coal-burning plants and curb CO2 emissions. For this purpose, a new nuclear energy division within CEZ was set up in June 2017 in order to carry out nuclear projects and explore financing options.