Dukovany Expansion Advances
Czechia aims to produce 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2050. Engineers construct two new reactors next to Dukovany’s existing eight cooling towers. Mobile drilling rigs extract samples from 140 meters underground to confirm geological suitability for the $19 billion project. Officials plan to double nuclear output and strengthen Czechia’s position as a nuclear-dependent nation.
South Korea’s KHNP won the tender over France’s EDF. Each new reactor will produce over 1,000 megawatts and start operating in the late 2030s. They will supplement Dukovany’s four 512-MW reactors from the 1980s. Czech authorities may build two more units at Temelín, which already houses two 1,000-MW reactors. Later, officials will install small modular reactors.
Petr Závodský, Dukovany’s CEO, says nuclear power will generate between 50 and 60 percent of electricity by 2050. He emphasizes that the expansion will reduce fossil fuel use, stabilize supply, meet low-emission targets, and power rising demand from electric vehicles and data centers.
Europe Revives Atomic Energy
Rising energy demand and urgent climate deadlines drive renewed interest in nuclear technology. Nuclear power produces waste but emits no greenhouse gases.
The European Union classifies nuclear energy as environmentally sustainable, unlocking financing opportunities. Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and France benefit from this policy. Belgium and Sweden reversed nuclear phase-outs. Denmark and Italy reconsider their options. Poland plans three reactors with Westinghouse support, joining 12 nuclear-friendly EU nations.
The EU generated 24 percent of electricity from nuclear in 2024. Britain signed a U.S. cooperation deal to expand nuclear energy. Officials plan £14.2 billion for the Sizewell C plant, the UK’s first nuclear project since 1995. CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR partner to deploy small modular reactors.
Financing, Security, and Opposition
The Dukovany expansion costs over €16 billion. The government will acquire an 80 percent stake and secure a long-term loan for CEZ. The state guarantees revenue for 40 years. EU approval is expected because the bloc aims for climate neutrality by 2050.
Závodský stresses that coal, which still generates 40 percent of electricity, must be replaced. Czechia plans to phase out coal by 2033. Financing delays hindered previous expansions, including a 2014 Temelín project canceled after the government withheld guarantees.
Security concerns excluded Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG from the Dukovany tender after Russia invaded Ukraine. CEZ signed fuel supply contracts with Westinghouse and Framatome, securing ten years of independence from Russia.
Opponents cite high costs and lack of permanent waste storage. Austria, historically anti-nuclear, rejected the Czech small modular reactors plan. Past Temelín disputes even triggered a political crisis and border blockades in 2000. Friends of the Earth urges investment in other energy sectors instead.
Czechia continues to balance public support, environmental goals, and geopolitical risks while expanding its nuclear program.
