Dukovany Expansion Sets the Stage
Czechia plans to produce up to 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2050. Workers are building two new reactors at Dukovany while mobile rigs drill 140 meters underground to test geological stability. The $19 billion project aims to double national nuclear output and cement Czechia as one of Europe’s most nuclear-dependent nations.
South Korea’s KHNP won a tender over France’s EDF to construct two 1,000-MW reactors. They will join Dukovany’s four 512-MW reactors from the 1980s and start operating in the late 2030s. The deal also gives Czechia the option to add two more reactors at Temelín, which already operates two 1,000-MW units. Officials plan to follow these projects with small modular reactors.
Petr Závodský, CEO of Dukovany, says nuclear power will supply between 50 and 60 percent of Czech electricity. He emphasizes that the expansion reduces fossil fuel dependence, stabilizes prices, meets low-emission targets, and supports growing electricity demand from data centers and electric vehicles.
Europe Embraces Nuclear Revival
Rising energy demand and carbon reduction deadlines are fueling renewed interest in nuclear energy across Europe. Nuclear plants produce waste but emit no greenhouse gases. The European Union classified nuclear energy as environmentally sustainable, opening new funding opportunities.
Belgium and Sweden reversed phase-out plans, while Denmark and Italy reconsider nuclear power. Poland will join the EU’s nuclear-friendly nations after signing with Westinghouse to build three reactors. The EU generated 24 percent of electricity from nuclear in 2024.
Britain signed a cooperation deal with the U.S., and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called it a “golden age of nuclear.” The UK will invest £14.2 billion to build Sizewell C, its first new nuclear plant since 1995. CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR partnered to develop small modular reactors for future deployment.
Funding, Security, and Controversy
Czechia will spend over €16 billion on the Dukovany expansion, acquiring an 80 percent stake. The government will secure a 30-year loan, and CEZ will repay it. Officials guarantee CEZ stable revenue from electricity for 40 years. EU approval is expected as the bloc pursues climate neutrality by 2050.
Závodský notes Czechia still gets 40 percent of electricity from coal, which the government plans to phase out by 2033. Past financing uncertainty delayed projects, including a 2014 Temelín tender canceled over government guarantees. Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG were excluded from Dukovany on security grounds. CEZ signed fuel contracts with Westinghouse and France’s Framatome to eliminate reliance on Russia. KHNP will supply fuel for ten years.
Some groups oppose nuclear expansion. Friends of the Earth argue it costs too much and lacks a permanent waste storage facility. Austria remains Europe’s most anti-nuclear country. Past disputes over Temelín triggered a political crisis and border blockages. Austria’s Parliament already rejected Czech plans for small modular reactors.
