Massive Reactor Projects Transform Energy Strategy
Czechia plans to generate up to 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2050. Construction crews at Dukovany supervise two new reactors while mobile rigs drill 140 meters underground to test geology for the $19 billion expansion. Officials aim to double national nuclear output and solidify Czechia as one of Europe’s top nuclear-reliant countries.
South Korea’s KHNP won the contract over France’s EDF to build two reactors exceeding 1,000 megawatts each. The new units will operate in the late 2030s, complementing Dukovany’s four 512-MW reactors from the 1980s. Officials may add two more reactors at Temelín, which already hosts two 1,000-MW units, and follow up with small modular reactors.
Petr Závodský, CEO of the Dukovany expansion, said nuclear energy will supply 50–60 percent of Czech electricity by 2050. He added the expansion will reduce fossil fuel reliance, secure stable electricity prices, and meet rising demand from electric cars and data centers.
Europe Revives Nuclear as Climate Pressures Mount
Rising energy demand and deadlines to cut carbon emissions have reignited European interest in nuclear power. Nuclear produces waste but avoids greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. The European Union classified nuclear as environmentally sustainable, enabling financing and benefiting Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and France.
Belgium and Sweden reversed nuclear phase-out plans, while Denmark and Italy reconsider their policies. Poland plans to build three reactors with Westinghouse, joining 12 EU countries supporting nuclear. Nuclear accounted for 24 percent of EU electricity in 2024.
Britain signed a deal with the United States to boost nuclear energy. The UK will invest £14.2 billion to build Sizewell C, the first major nuclear project since 1995. CEZ, the state-majority Czech power company, partnered with Rolls-Royce SMR to develop small modular reactors.
Costs, Security, and Opposition Challenge Expansion
Czechia estimates the Dukovany expansion cost at over €16 billion. The government will own 80 percent of the new plant and secure a loan repaid by CEZ over 30 years. The state guarantees stable electricity revenue for 40 years. EU approval is expected, aligning with climate-neutral goals by 2050.
Závodský emphasized the need for new nuclear units, noting 40 percent of Czech electricity still comes from coal, which the country aims to phase out by 2033. Past financing issues delayed expansion. In 2014, CEZ canceled a Temelín tender after the government refused financial guarantees.
The government excluded Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG from Dukovany contracts due to security concerns. CEZ signed agreements with Westinghouse and Framatome for nuclear fuel, ending reliance on Russia. KHNP will supply fuel for ten years.
Despite public support, critics raise concerns. Friends of the Earth argue nuclear energy costs too much and the country lacks permanent spent fuel storage. Dukovany and Temelín lie near Austria, which abandoned nuclear power after Chernobyl. Austria remains Europe’s most nuclear-skeptical nation and rejected Czech plans for small modular reactors.
