Finance Minister says power giant should launch new nuclear tender in 2016 at latest

Power utility ČEZ should launch a new tender for the construction of further nuclear units next year at the latest, Finance Minister Andrej Babiš told Czech Radio on Monday. In the interview, he described 2016 as the "ultimate" deadline, pointing out one new reactor block each were needed at Dukovany and at Temelín. But, according to ČEZ CEO Daniel Beneš, neither the date nor the location of further nuclear units has been decided yet. ČEZ will tailor further activities depending on the state energy policy draft which is yet to be approved by the government. The policy is to define, among other things, when and where new nuclear units should be built. In April of last year, ČEZ cancelled a tender to build two new units at the Temeíin nuclear power plant in southern Bohemia. The main reason was the government's decision not to provide state guarantees. According to Industry and Trade Minister Jan Mládek, the most feasible option is to build new units under the leadership of a new subsidiary of ČEZ.

Author: Jan Velinger