The Czech power utility ČEZ, through its affiliate Elektrárna Dukovany II (EDU II), has launched a tender for the construction of a new 1.2 GW nuclear power plant in Dukovany (Dukovany-5). EdF, KHNP and Westinghouse are prequalified for the tender. The bidders are expected to submit their initial bids by the end of November 2022, and they will have 20 months to prepare their final bids. After that, the bids will be evaluated by ČEZ, and the evaluation report will then be submitted for state approval. The contracts will be finalised in 2024. Construction is scheduled to start in 2029, and commissioning is expected in 2036.
ČEZ 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). In March 2021, the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety awarded a permit to ČEZ for the development of two new 1.2 GW units at Dukovany. The company is currently planning to build only one reactor at Dukovany, and the permit for two units will allow ČEZ to review its plans. Replacing the older reactors with new units is viewed as crucial for the country’s energy security, as the four Dukovany reactors are expected to be shut down permanently between 2035 and 2037.
In October 2021, Czechia signed into law the country’s support framework for nuclear investment. The new law authorises a state-owned company to purchase electricity from new nuclear power plants at a fixed rate for at least 30 years, with the possibility of extension. The company will resell the power on the wholesale market. Any profit or loss will be translated into an adjustment to power bills even if the country intends to set an upper limit on any extra cost.
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