US, French, Korean firms bid to build Czech reactor

Czech energy group CEZ said Wednesday it had received three bids from US-Canadian firm Westinghouse, France's EDF and South Korea's KHNP to build a new nuclear reactor.

The reactor is intended for the Soviet-built Dukovany power station 200 kilometres (124 miles) southeast of the capital Prague.

The value of the deal is estimated at several billion euros.

Czech Industry Minister Jozef Sikela said it would be "the biggest investment in Czech history and will also be essential to strengthen our energy security".

CEZ said the candidates would be expected to "submit their final bids by the end of September next year".

"We expect the contracts to be finalised in 2024," CEZ board member Tomas Pleskac said in a statement.

The reactor is planned to go online in 2036.

Russia's Rosatom and China's CGN had also expressed an interest but Czech authorities said their proposals would not be considered "for security reasons".

Westinghouse earlier this month won a bid to build the first nuclear power station in neighbouring Poland for around $20 billion, seeing off bids from EDF and KHNP.

str-sw/dt/imm

EDF - ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE

TOSHIBA

CGN Power

CEZ