The Czech Republic approved the construction of the Dukovany II nuclear power plant, and has set a target date for completion of 2036.
According to the Czech parliamentary committee for the construction of new nuclear resources, this is an important step to maintain the self-sufficiency of the country. The committee claims that by 2040, renewable energy will not be able to cover all the country’s electricity consumption and that nuclear power offers a clean alternative to coal.
“Energy security is our priority, and I am very pleased that today’s meeting has given concrete deadlines,” commented Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who underlined how the construction of new nuclear units has a strong connection with European current events, the fight against climate change and emissions reduction targets.
“Looking at Europe today, France has 52 nuclear reactors, and 75 per cent of electricity s generated by nuclear power. Then comes Sweden, which has 10 nuclear blocks and also hydro-power resources. Unfortunately, we can only cover 30 per cent of our consumption with nuclear power at the moment, but our goal is to reach 40 per cent by 2040,” Mr Babiš continued. “We are very concerned about our planet and climate change. Our government has a clear plan.”
The Czech Republic currently has six nuclear reactors at two separate power plants: Dukovany I – which first began operating in 1985 – and Temelin, operational since 2000 but licensed only until 2022.
Source: Emerging Europe