PRAGUE, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Czech government on Monday approved the "further steps" towards the signing of two contracts with energy giant CEZ group on building a new nuclear power plant to replace the existing one in Dukovany, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said in a press release.
The government hopes the new nuclear power unit will ensure supplies of emission-free, stable, and economically affordable electricity to increase the country's energy self-sufficiency.
"We must be energy self-sufficient, while also addressing the decline in coal and the European Union's requirements for carbon neutrality," said Karel Havlicek, Minister of Industry, Trade and Transport, who will head negotiations on the details of the contract.
State-controlled CEZ and its subsidiary Elektrarna Dukovany II will receive two contracts, one for the framework and the other for implementation. The government plans to sign this contract in the middle of the year, the ministry said.
According to CEZ's plan, at the end of the year, it will launch a tender for a new nuclear unit, with the supplier to be selected by the end of 2022. By 2024, contracts will be signed and further steps will be taken, such as securing a zoning permit, says CEZ CEO Daniel Benes. Enditem
