The Czech Republic is moving forward as planned with its $25 billion nuclear power generation expansion as increased clean electricity production will allow the country to meet emissions reduction targets, the country's industry minister said in Wednesday's Austrian economic newspaper Der Wirtschaftsblatt.

Martin Kocourek said construction could begin on two new nuclear reactor blocks at Temelin as early as 2015, with the units then coming online by 2025 at the latest. Whether further blocks would be built, he said, depends on the share of nuclear energy in the government's energy policy and on developments in neighboring Slovakia , where one of the five new reactors planned by Czech 70%-state-owned power company CEZ AS (BAACEZ.PR) could be built.

Kocourek added that a fifth block may be constructed at CEZ's existing Dukovany nuclear power plant in the South East Czech Republic.

Later this year the Czech government will release final parameters of the tender, will accept bids next year, and is expected to announce the winner in 2013. The short-listed companies in the tender process are Westinghouse Electric Co., a U.S.-based unit of Japan 's Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO), France 's state-owned Areva SA (CEI.FR), and Russia 's state-owned Atomstroyexport.

Investments in nuclear energy are not being carried out with the intention of exporting electricity (despite the fact that the country already exports to its neighbors), but to provide cheap electricity to the Czech economy as coal plant closures are planned over the next 10 years, he said.

Renewable energy is just too expensive in the Czech Republic , Kocourek said, adding that while the country would meet its European Union requirement that 13% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2020, the country had no plans to exceed this amount.

"We don't have that much sun, little wind, and not a lot of water," said Kocourek.

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