Czechia expects nuclear facilities to produce up to 60 per cent of its electricity by 2050. At Dukovany, eight massive cooling towers overlook active construction as crews prepare the site for two new reactors. Mobile drilling rigs extract deep geological samples to confirm the land can support a $19 billion project that will at least double national nuclear output and strengthen Czechia’s status as one of Europe’s most nuclear-reliant nations.
South Korea’s KHNP won the contract over France’s EDF and will build two reactors exceeding 1,000 megawatts each. These units will join Dukovany’s four 512-MW reactors from the 1980s after entering service in the late 2030s. The deal includes an option for two additional reactors at Temelín, which currently operates two 1,000-MW units. Officials also plan to add small modular reactors after completing the large-scale expansion.
Petr Závodský, chief executive of the Dukovany project, says nuclear energy will supply most national electricity by 2050. He argues the expansion will help Czechia move away from fossil fuels, stabilize prices, secure reliable long-term energy, and meet rising demand from electric vehicles and data centres.
Europe Reconsiders Nuclear Technology
Czechia’s push coincides with a broader European shift driven by soaring energy needs and rapid deadlines to reduce carbon pollution. Nuclear plants generate waste but do not emit greenhouse gases, giving them renewed appeal among governments seeking low-carbon energy.
The European Union added nuclear energy to its sustainable finance taxonomy, allowing countries such as Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and France to access funding for nuclear projects. Belgium and Sweden abandoned earlier phase-out plans, Denmark and Italy are re-evaluating nuclear energy, and Poland plans to join twelve pro-nuclear EU members after partnering with Westinghouse for three reactors.
Nuclear energy generated 24 per cent of EU electricity in 2024. Britain strengthened its commitment by signing a cooperation pact with the United States and investing £14.2 billion in the Sizewell C plant, the UK’s first nuclear facility since 1995.
CEZ, Czechia’s dominant power company, holds a 70 per cent government stake and has formed a strategic alliance with Rolls-Royce SMR to develop small modular reactors for future deployment.
Financing, Security, and International Concerns
The Dukovany expansion will cost more than €16 billion. The government plans to hold an 80 per cent majority in the new plant, secure loans for construction, and guarantee CEZ stable electricity-production income for 40 years. Officials expect EU approval because the bloc aims to reach climate neutrality by mid-century.
Závodský says Czechia cannot meet climate goals without new reactors. He notes that nuclear currently provides 40 per cent of national electricity, while coal supplies another 40 per cent. The government intends to eliminate coal by 2033.
Financial uncertainty previously slowed progress. In 2014, CEZ cancelled a Temelín tender after the government declined to guarantee revenues. Later, Czechia excluded Rosatom and China’s CNG from the Dukovany competition over security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. CEZ now receives fuel from Westinghouse and Framatome, ending reliance on Russian supply. KHNP will provide fuel for the first ten years of operation.
Despite broad public support for nuclear power, critics remain vocal. Friends of the Earth argues the projects cost too much and divert funds from renewable industries. Czechia also still lacks a permanent repository for spent fuel.
Austria, located close to both Dukovany and Temelín, strongly opposes nuclear power. The country abandoned nuclear energy after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and previously triggered a major diplomatic dispute over the Temelín plant in 2000. Its parliament has already rejected Czech plans for small modular reactors, reflecting persistent regional resistance to nuclear expansion.
