Czech government to discuss easing approval processes for nuclear reactor construction on Tuesday

The state is preparing to simplify permitting processes and regulatory requirements for the construction of new nuclear units in the Czech Republic. The aim is to speed up their construction. The new rules are to be tailored not only to the large units at Dukovany and Temelín, but also to the planned construction of modular reactors. This follows from a draft amendment to the Atomic Act, which the government will discuss on Tuesday.

According to the state’s current plans, nuclear power, together with renewable sources, should be the main source in the domestic energy mix. The state is therefore preparing to build new reactors as well as small modular units.

In this context, it is also amending the relevant legislation, which could speed up construction. The government is now set to discuss an amendment to the Atomic Act. „The amendment primarily introduces the possibility of shorter and simpler permitting processes for new energy sources and SMRs (small modular reactors – ed. (ČTK), which should speed up the overall process of their deployment in the Czech Republic,“ the explanatory memorandum to the government states.

According to the document, the changes to the law should primarily reduce the regulatory burden involved in considering construction projects within the public administration. They are mainly technical changes. The amendment also needs to be adapted to new technologies, such as modular reactors. The current law did not take them into account. According to the document, changes were also necessary to reflect new international standards in nuclear energy.

According to the State Office for Nuclear Safety, the amendment is essential because retaining the current Atomic Act could delay or even halt the deployment of new nuclear technologies. „This could endanger the Czech Republic’s energy security and prevent it from achieving its climate targets,“ the office noted in a report to the government.

The state is currently holding a tender for the construction of new nuclear units. The semi-state-owned company ČEZ, which is responsible for the tender, received bids last week for the construction of up to four reactors from France’s EDF and South Korea’s KHNP. ČEZ is now assessing the bids and will submit them to the government during June. The government will then select the winner over the summer and is also expected to decide how many units should be built in the Czech Republic in the future. The state currently expects the first of them to begin operating at Dukovany in 2036.

The first small modular reactor is also expected to begin operating in the Czech Republic before then. ČEZ plans to build it at Temelín. The company is also planning additional modular reactors at other sites; these are among the potential replacements for coal-fired power plants.

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