Decision on Dukovany contract matter for next government, says minister

A final decision on a contract to build a new unit at the Dukovany nuclear power station will be made by the next Czech government, the minister of industry and trade, Karel Havlíček, said on Thursday. Work on the nuclear unit should begin in 2029, with a view to it going into trial operation seven years later.

According to information released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Chinese company CGN will not be considered for the major contract, the Czech News Agency reported.

Four bidders remain in the running: France’s EdF, KNHP from South Korea, the US-Canadian Westinghouse and Rosatom from Russia, with some Czech opposition parties critical of potential Russian involvement in such a key project.