Delay in Dukovany deal shifts project timeline

The delay in signing the final agreement for new nuclear units at Dukovany has pushed back the entire project timeline, including construction and commissioning, said Petr Závodský, head of Elektrárna Dukovany II, on Wednesday. The first reactor is now expected to begin operations between late 2036 and early 2037.

The agreement with South Korea's KHNP was scheduled for May 7 but was blocked the day before by a Brno court via a preliminary injunction. The move followed a lawsuit from France's EDF, challenging a ruling by the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition that upheld the tender process.

The European Commission (EC) has also asked Czechia to delay the signing of the contract for two new nuclear units at Dukovany, as it is investigating whether the South Korean company KHNP received foreign subsidies that may distort the EU market.

Závodský noted the delay affects not only Dukovany’s first unit but also a second reactor and future plans at Temelín. The court has yet to rule on EDF’s complaint, but EDU II will appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court.

ČEZ CEO Daniel Beneš warned last week that even a few months’ delay could add hundreds of millions of crowns to the project.