Expanding Nuclear Capacity Across the Country
Czechia plans to generate up to 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2050. Construction crews are building two new reactors at Dukovany, where eight cooling towers already dominate the landscape. Engineers use drilling rigs to collect geological samples 140 meters underground to verify the $19 billion project site. Officials expect the expansion to at least double national nuclear output and reinforce Czechia’s position as one of Europe’s most nuclear-reliant nations.
South Korea’s KHNP won the contract over France’s EDF to supply two reactors, each producing over 1,000 megawatts. These units will operate in the second half of the 2030s, supporting Dukovany’s four 512-MW reactors from the 1980s. Czechia may also add two more reactors at Temelín, which already hosts two 1,000-MW units, and follow with small modular reactors.
Petr Závodský, chief executive of Dukovany, said nuclear energy will provide 50 to 60 percent of electricity by 2050. He stressed the expansion will reduce fossil fuel reliance, stabilize prices, meet low-emission targets, and handle growing demand from data centers and electric vehicles.
Nuclear Energy Gains Momentum in Europe
Europe is reviving nuclear energy amid rising electricity demand and carbon-cutting targets. Nuclear power generates waste but avoids greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide. The EU classifies nuclear as a sustainable economic activity, opening funding opportunities. Countries such as Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and France benefit from this support.
Belgium and Sweden abandoned nuclear phase-out plans. Denmark and Italy reconsider their strategies. Poland plans to build three reactors with Westinghouse, joining 12 nuclear-supportive EU nations. In 2024, nuclear provided 24 percent of the EU’s electricity.
Britain signed a nuclear cooperation deal with the US and will invest £14.2 billion in Sizewell C, the first new British nuclear plant since 1995. CEZ, the state-majority Czech power company, partnered with Rolls-Royce SMR to develop small modular reactors for future deployment.
Costs, Security, and Opposition Challenges
Dukovany’s expansion costs over €16 billion. The Czech government will acquire an 80 percent stake, secure a loan for construction, and guarantee 40 years of revenue for CEZ. Officials expect EU approval, supporting climate neutrality by 2050.
Czechia currently receives 40 percent of electricity from nuclear and 40 percent from coal. Authorities aim to phase out coal by 2033. Financing delays have postponed past expansions, including a cancelled 2014 Temelín project due to missing government guarantees. Security concerns excluded Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG from the Dukovany tender. CEZ signed fuel contracts with Westinghouse and France’s Framatome to eliminate dependence on Russia, while KHNP supplies fuel for 10 years.
Critics remain cautious. Friends of the Earth argue nuclear costs too much and that funds could improve other energy sectors. The country still lacks permanent storage for spent fuel. Dukovany and Temelín lie near Austria, which abandoned nuclear energy after Chernobyl in 1986. Past disputes over Temelín caused political crises and blocked borders in 2000. Austria continues to oppose Czech nuclear plans and rejected small modular reactors in Parliament.
