French eliminated from Temelín tender

The French industrial conglomerate Areva has been eliminated from the tender for the completion of the Temelín nuclear power plant. In an announcement that surprised experts on Friday, the plant’s operator, the energy company ČEZ, said that the French had not met the business and legal requirements of the public tender. The exact reasons for their exclusion can only be published after the company has completed all options of appeal, a ČEZ spokesman said. Two other participants remain in the tender: the US-Japanese Westinghouse and the Czech-Russian consortium of Skoda JS, Atomstroyexport and Gidropress. The costs of completing Temelín are expected to reach 200-300 billion crowns. The winner of the tender is to be announced next year.