China Expresses Concern Over Czech Exclusion Of Chinese Firm From NPP Construction Tender

PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2021) China's embassy in the Czech Republic on Thursday expressed concern over recent statements that Prague was not considering awarding a crucial nuclear power plant (NPP) construction tender to the Chinese contender.

A day prior, Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek told reporters that the government's cabinet was inclined to exclude China General Nuclear Power (CGN) from its candidates for the contract.

"The Chinese side has taken note of the relevant reports and expresses serious concern that the Czech government is going to exclude the Chinese company from the tender for the project," the embassy said in a post on its website.

The embassy went on to say that it was strongly opposed to setting up artificial barriers that hamper fair competition and violate economic and trade rules.

Czechia December launched a tender for the construction of the Dukovany NPP's new power unit.

Rosatom and CGN applied to participate, sparking a backlash among Czech opposition parties that urged the government to remove the companies from the tender, citing security concerns.

The Czech Republic currently operates two nuclear power plants, the Dukovany NPP and the Temelin NPP, which were constructed based on Soviet projects. Nuclear fuel for both NPPs is supplied by Rosatom. The Dukovany NPP is located in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic and has four power units with a total capacity of 2,040 MW.

The construction of the fifth unit, planned for 2036, would increase the plant's capacity to 3,240 MW. So far, six companies have applied to participate in the tender � Rosatom and CGN, as well as the United States' Westinghouse, France's Electricite de France, South Korea's KHNP, and Atmea, a joint project of France's AREVA and Japan's Mitsubishi.