The Czech Republic will have to build new nuclear power plants to replace aging coal and nuclear capacity even if they are in breach of European law, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Wednesday, APA reports citing Reuters.
The government wants CEZ to lead the nuclear projects but the 70% state-owned electricity producer has demanded state guarantees the plants would be both viable and deliver returns to shareholders.
The EU nation generates more than a third of its electricity from nuclear energy and Babis has advocated nuclear power as a low-carbon alternative to coal, which now produces about 50 percent of power.
“We have to push it through, even if we were to breach European law,” Babis told the European committee of the lower house of parliament.
“Energy security is our priority and there is no way around it.”
Potential state guarantees are now under negotiation between CEZ and the government, which has not fully backed any proposed plan beyond saying it would cover the risks of regulatory and legal changes that might complicate construction and operations.
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