Expanding Dukovany and Temelín
Czechia plans to generate up to 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2050. Engineers are building two additional reactors at Dukovany, where eight cooling towers already dominate the skyline. Mobile rigs drill 140 meters underground to test geological conditions for the $19 billion expansion. Officials aim to at least double national nuclear output and strengthen Czechia’s place among Europe’s most nuclear-reliant nations.
KHNP from South Korea won a contract over France’s EDF to construct the new reactors, each producing over 1,000 megawatts. The units will begin operating in the late 2030s, complementing Dukovany’s four 512-MW reactors from the 1980s. Czech authorities may add two more reactors at Temelín, which currently operates two 1,000-MW units. Officials plan to deploy small modular reactors after completing these large-scale projects.
Petr Závodský, CEO of the Dukovany expansion, said nuclear energy will provide 50 to 60 percent of electricity by 2050. He stressed that the expansion will reduce fossil fuel use, secure reliable energy at reasonable prices, meet emissions standards, and support growing electricity demand from electric vehicles and data centers.
Nuclear Momentum Across Europe
Rising energy demand and urgent carbon reduction targets are driving a nuclear revival across Europe. Nuclear energy avoids greenhouse gas emissions while producing long-lived waste.
The European Union officially classifies nuclear power as environmentally sustainable, allowing countries to secure financing. Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and France benefit from this support. Belgium and Sweden recently reversed nuclear phase-out plans, while Denmark and Italy reconsider their policies. Poland signed a deal with Westinghouse to build three reactors, joining 12 EU nuclear-friendly nations.
The EU produced 24 percent of its electricity from nuclear in 2024. Britain also boosts its nuclear program, signing a deal with the United States and investing £14.2 billion to build Sizewell C, its first major plant since 1995. CEZ partnered with Rolls-Royce SMR to deploy small modular reactors in the Czech Republic.
Costs, Controversy, and Regional Tensions
The Dukovany expansion will cost more than €16 billion. The Czech government will acquire an 80 percent stake and secure a loan that CEZ will repay over 30 years. Authorities guarantee stable electricity revenue for 40 years. EU approval is expected as the bloc targets climate neutrality by 2050.
Závodský emphasized that Czechia must replace coal, which still generates 40 percent of the country’s electricity. The government plans to phase out coal by 2033. Past delays occurred when CEZ cancelled a 2014 Temelín tender after the government refused financial guarantees.
Authorities excluded Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG from the Dukovany tender for security reasons following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. CEZ signed fuel agreements with Westinghouse and Framatome, ending reliance on Russian supplies. KHNP will provide fuel for 10 years.
Opposition voices highlight the high costs and lack of a permanent storage facility for spent fuel. Austria, which abandoned nuclear after Chernobyl, remains highly skeptical. The Austrian Parliament rejected Czech small modular reactors and continues to oppose expansion.
Despite debate, Czechia moves forward to secure a low-carbon, reliable energy future through nuclear power.
