The Czech government is still fully committed to completing the Temelin nuclear power plant despite delays and rising costs says Industry and Trade Minister Karel Kuhnl. He was responding to a statement by Vojtech Kotyza, construction director and board member of state-controlled power company CEZ, who said cost increases and delays could jeopardise the project. Kotyza said in an internal company magazine that to be profitable, the plants first reactor had to brought on stream by 2000 and costs should not exceed 96 billion Czech Crowns ($2.7 billion). However, Kuhnl insisted that “the option of not completing Temelin does not exist”. He admitted that “company management has had strong doubts lately and it judges that the course of the construction is getting out of control”. He added, “We have to say fairly and openly that we have never been so close to interrupting the construction as we are today.” However CEZ had to go ahead without further delays.
