Czech government backs proposal to speed up construction of combined-cycle power plants

The government today backed an amendment to the Energy Act proposed by MPs, which aims to help speed up the construction of combined-cycle power plants. These plants are expected to provide sufficient capacity to generate electricity as coal-fired power is phased down. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said the proposal would shorten permitting procedures by up to five years, ensuring sufficient electricity supplies at affordable prices in the future. He said it would also help Czechia avoid dependence on electricity imports from abroad.

The proposal was submitted to the Chamber of Deputies by Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček (STAN), together with other coalition MPs. He said the law aims to ensure sufficient electricity generation capacity that can be easily adjusted and can balance fluctuations in renewable energy production. Vlček and Fiala also reiterated their expectation that Czech electricity generation will rely on nuclear and renewable sources in the future.

According to Vlček, the law should primarily speed up the permitting of combined-cycle power plants with a capacity of more than 100 megawatts. They would be built mainly at sites where power plants already operate. „The associated energy infrastructure to carry electricity away from the plant is important,“ Vlček noted.

The minister stressed that Czechia cannot do without new gas-fired power plants given the expected decline in coal-fired electricity generation. „If we are to be a successful, prosperous country, we need to ensure an adequate energy supply at affordable prices,“ Fiala added.

The law will now be considered by Parliament. Vlček said that passing the amendment before the end of the parliamentary term this autumn was a government priority. If the Chamber of Deputies does not approve the law by then, it would have to be submitted again in the new parliamentary term.