Expanding Capacity at Dukovany and Temelín
Czechia plans to generate up to 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear energy by 2050. Eight cooling towers at Dukovany tower over a construction zone where crews are building two new reactors. Drilling rigs extract samples 140 meters underground to verify geological stability for the $19 billion project. Officials expect the expansion to double nuclear output and strengthen Czechia’s role among Europe’s nuclear leaders.
South Korea’s KHNP won a tender to construct the new plant over France’s EDF. The two reactors will each produce over 1,000 megawatts and enter service in the late 2030s. These units will complement Dukovany’s four 512-MW reactors, operational since the 1980s. The KHNP contract allows Czechia to build two additional units at Temelín, which already operates two 1,000-MW reactors. Officials also plan to deploy small modular reactors in future phases.
Petr Závodský, head of the Dukovany project, said nuclear expansion will reduce fossil fuel use, stabilize electricity prices, meet low-emission standards, and supply growing demand from electric vehicles and data centers.
Nuclear Gains Momentum Across Europe
Rising electricity demand and EU climate goals have renewed interest in nuclear power. Nuclear plants produce waste but emit no greenhouse gases, unlike fossil fuels. The EU classified nuclear energy as environmentally sustainable, opening funding opportunities for Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and France.
Belgium and Sweden reversed nuclear phase-out plans. Denmark and Italy reconsider their plans, while Poland plans three new reactors with Westinghouse support. Nuclear power supplied 24 percent of EU electricity in 2024.
Britain signed a US cooperation deal to modernize nuclear production. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described it as a “golden age of nuclear.” The UK will invest £14.2 billion to build Sizewell C, the first major reactor since 1995. CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR also formed a partnership to develop small modular reactors in Czechia.
Costs, Security, and Opposition
The Dukovany expansion will cost more than €16 billion, with the government acquiring an 80 percent stake. Officials will secure a long-term loan for CEZ to repay over 30 years and guarantee revenue for 40 years. EU approval is expected as part of climate-neutral commitments by 2050.
Závodský highlighted that Czechia still produces 40 percent of electricity from coal and must phase it out by 2033. Financing uncertainty previously delayed Temelín expansion, and CEZ canceled a 2014 tender after the government declined financial guarantees.
Security concerns excluded Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG after the Ukraine invasion. CEZ signed deals with Westinghouse and France’s Framatome to supply fuel for both plants, ensuring ten years of supply.
Public support exists, but critics warn of high costs and lack of permanent waste storage. Friends of the Earth argue funds could improve the existing industry. Dukovany and Temelín sit near Austria, which abandoned nuclear energy after Chernobyl. Austria remains strongly opposed, and its parliament rejected Czech small modular reactor plans.
Czechia must balance expansion, public confidence, and international relations while pursuing its nuclear energy ambitions.
