The Czech Republic will cut its reliance on coal and increase nuclear capacity to supply half of Czech energy needs under a new long-term energy policy unveiled by Prime Minister Petr Nečas. The Czech cabinet has approved the new national strategic energy policy developed by a working group with input from the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the State Office for Nuclear Safety. The policy aims to achieve energy security with 80% of electricity produced in the Czech Republic.
The increase in nuclear will be achieved through the completion of Temelín units 3 and 4, life extensions to all four existing units at Dukovany and the construction of a further unit at Dukovany. The construction of the new Temelín units has been envisaged in Czech policy since 2004. A tender process is currently under way, with Czech utility ČEZ expecting to select a reactor supplier and sign a contract by the end of 2013. ČEZ is already working to extend the lives of the existing Dukovany units to 60 years.
Trade and industry minister Martin Kuba told a press conference that any growth in renewables must be achieved "naturally" and without major public funding. Guaranteed Czech feed-in tariffs for solar are currently very high, and Kuba said the government would be aiming to reduce government support for the most expensive renewables from 2014, in order to protect the Czech economy from unsustainable price increases.
-tk-