Finance minister doubts planned expansion of Temelín nuclear plant¨

Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek has expressed doubts about the planned expansion of the Temelín nuclear plant. In an interview for the daily Hospodařské noviny on Friday, Mr Kalousek said he was not sure whether the investment would be effective due to an uncertain outlook of electricity prices. The minister also said he was surprised by the high cost-estimate given by the two bidders. In a reaction, Prime Minister Petr Nečas said the plant’s expansion was necessary to ensure the country’s energy stability.

The Czech government is planning to invest between 200 and 300 billion crowns in building two new reactors at the Temelín plant. The two bidders left in the process are a Russian-led consortium and the US-based firm Westinghouse.