Czech infrastructure plan to prepare for new nuclear
Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček said the proposed construction of new nuclear energy units at Dukovany will bring long-term economic benefits, but an action plan is needed to avoid negative impacts from the construction which is expected to see a 9,700 increase in the population of the surrounding area.
Vlček presented the expected socio-economic impacts on the region's life, based on a Ministry of Industry and Trade study, which the Ministry of Regional Development will respond to by submitting an action plan by the end of June.
The minister said: "The completion of Dukovany is a crucial project that will bring long-term economic benefits not only in the area of employment and infrastructure development, but also in the overall prosperity of the region. However, we are also aware of possible negative externalities, especially in the initial phase of construction. Therefore, it is important that an action plan is adopted as soon as possible, which will ensure effective management of all aspects of this project and improve the comfort of the residents of the affected areas."
One area of focus was the impact on transport infrastructure and "measures aimed at adjusting transport routes, especially for the transport of oversized components and construction materials, are already being prepared and ensured under the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport", the ministry report of the visit says, adding that the estimated cost would be CZK13.5 billion (USD566 million).
There are currently 7,573 beds available for temporary accommodation in the area, so it will be necessary to provide 3,000 more apartments, with the ministry saying "thanks to the construction, the local economy could achieve a multiplier effect of up to CZK50 billion, with up to 1,000 new businesses being created. The completion of the power plant will increase tax revenues of municipalities in the region by approximately CZK1.5 billion".
Background
The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from the four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two VVER-1000 units in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002. Following a tender process, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) was announced as the preferred bidder for new nuclear capacity at Dukovany.
The aim has been to sign a contract for the initial unit by the end of March - the target for test operation of the first new unit is 2036 with commercial operation in 2038. The KHNP bid was for a cost of around CZK200 billion per unit, if two units were contracted.
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