Czech power company CEZ says it will bring forward negotiations with companies taking part in the tender for construction of a new unit at Dukovany NPP. Clarification discussions will begin immediately instead of in April as previously planned. Companies taking part include France's EDF, South Korea's Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), and US-based Westinghouse Electric Company, according to CEZ board member Tomas Pleskac.
“Negotiations were originally scheduled to begin in April, but we want to give them more time to process quality final offers. Our expert team therefore accelerated the reading of the introductory offers we received at the end of November last year. We expect the end of the clarification phase by the beginning of May, and in mid-September we expect final offers,” he said on Twitter. The Dukovany unit is due to be completed in 2036.
CEZ plans to build a 1,000-1,200 MWe unit at Dukovany, and possibly three more at the Temelin NPP. However, the government is expected to assume full responsibility for nuclear projects as part of planned restructuring of CEZ, which is 70% state owned. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said recently that the plan would be prepared later this year.
At the end of last year, CEZ said it expected the following timeline:
- September 2023: Competitors submit modified bids
- October to December 2023: evaluation of tenders
- January to March 2024: the government will assess and approve the result of the tender
- April to October 2024: negotiations on the terms of the contract with the winner
- December 2024: signing of a binding contract
The subsequent procedure will depend on details of the final contract. However, the following is suggested:
- 2025 and 2026: work on the design of the new unit
- 2028: regulator SÚJB will issue a permit according to the Atomic Act
- 2029: building permit, construction site preparation
- 2030: start of construction
- 2035: fuel loading and start-up
- 2036: start of two-year trial operation
Image: The existing four VVER-440 units at Dukovany (courtesy of CEZ)
