Czech electricity consumption to double, CEPS says; generation will fall short

Electricity consumption will roughly double over the next two decades not only in Czechia but also in other EU countries, according to Martin Durčák, head of transmission system operator ČEPS. Czechia will cease to be energy self-sufficient by 2030 and will have to import electricity at high cost, Durčák said today at a Senate seminar on the risks of plans to decarbonise the European and Czech economies by 2050.

According to Durčák, the state will not be able to do without building additional nuclear power sources in the future, specifically modular reactors, to maintain the security and reliability of electricity supplies. ČEPS also says a capacity mechanism will be needed to support flexible energy sources, under which operators receive payments from the state for availability and, potentially, for the capacity they provide to ensure the stability of the electricity grid.

„Moving away from coal-fired power generation before 2038 will require the introduction of capacity mechanisms to support the construction of sources with stable and controllable output,“ ČEPS said in an analysis presented earlier, which Durčák cited.