The Czech Republic is pushing ahead with
a large-scale expansion of its nuclear-power industry despite increasing
misgivings about atomic energy among its neighbors in Europe.
On Monday, the country's government-controlled CEZ AS will issue technical
specifications for a $25 billion project to build up to five new nuclear
reactors, with the first two scheduled to go online by 2025.
CEZ has invited three bidders to participate in this final round: French
state-controlled Areva SA; Westinghouse Electric Co., a U.S. unit of Japan's Toshiba; and Russia's state-owned nuclear
company Rosatom.
In choosing a winner, the Czechs must decide whether to stick with a European
partner, increase dependence on energy-giant Russia or look to the U.S.-Japanese team for diversity. Some
Czech politicians have said the country is already far too dependent on Russia for energy supplies. Roughly three-quarters of its
oil and gas, as well as all its nuclear fuel, come from Russia. And last week, Prime
Minister Petr Necas said his government wants to deepen trans-Atlantic ties.
Vaclav Bartuska, the Czech government's special energy envoy, said the CzechRepublic wants to increase the
proportion of its electric power generated by nuclear reactors to 50% from the
current 30%.
"There is antinuclear sentiment in some countries," Mr. Bartuska
added. But until alternate energy sources make economic sense, "we see
nuclear as the solution."
CEZ, which is operating six reactors now, has long been one of Europe's largest power
exporters, sending electricity to neighboring Germany and elsewhere.
The Czech strategy runs counter to the approach of Berlin, which, after the
partial meltdown this year of a Japanese nuclear plant following an earthquake
and tsunami, has pulled the plug on atomic power.
Germany has already shut down
seven older reactors and plans to phase out the rest of its nuclear generation
by 2022. Switzerland also has shelved
plans for new reactors, and Italy has put tentative
plans for a pilot plant on hold.
German and Austrian politicians have called for the Czechs to drop their
nuclear-expansion plans. In Austria, which imports Czech
electricity, parliament is considering a bill to prohibit the purchase of
nuclear power.
Such a ban would be almost impossible to implement in practice, however,
because electricity from all sources -- including nuclear, coal-powered and
solar generators -- is indistinguishable in the power grid.
Mr. Bartuska said that the accident in Japan highlights the need
for high safety standards. But he said that in order to cut greenhouse-gas
emissions, nuclear power is critical.
"We have burned our fingers with massive funding and subsidies for
photovoltaic power," he added. "At the present stage we do not see
renewables as a way forward if they have to be heavily subsidized."
Germany has said it will try
to use renewable fuels such as wind, hydro, solar and biomass to replace the
generation capacity it is losing because of its antinuclear stance.
Alan Svoboda, the head of sales at CEZ, called this "the German
experiment" and predicted it would drive up electricity costs for most
Europeans.
"We believe the prospect of having to address global warming and the
search for energy security will eventually persuade most governments that
nuclear energy is the least bad solution," said Derek Weaving, an analyst
at Renaissance Capital.