China ready to boost Czech nuclear power development - newspaper

KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co

17/12/2014 08:34

PRAGUE, Dec 17 (Reuters) - China is ready to help the Czech 
Republic to develop its nuclear industry and expand its power 
stations, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was quoted as saying in a 
newspaper on Wednesday. 
    The Czech Republic is working on a long-term energy strategy 
that is expected to count heavily on nuclear power even after 
the official cancellation of the planned expansion of a nuclear 
power plant in the south of the country. 
    While Li was on a visit to Serbia this week, China said it 
would create a new investment fund of $3 billion (2.4 billion 
euros) targeting central and eastern Europe.  ID:nL6N0U045U  
    "China is ready to cooperate with the Czech Republic on 
further development of nuclear energy, including nuclear safety 
technology and development of new electricity units," Czech 
daily Pravo quoted Li as saying, in an interview also conducted 
with other European newspapers. 
    Czech Industry Minister Jan Mladek said in October that 
China had shown interest in building nuclear reactors in the 
Czech Republic, which is looking to expand its two nuclear power 
plants owned by majority state owned utility CEZ  CEZP.PR . 
 ID:nL6N0S92QW   ID:nL6N0TS3NM  
    The company had scrapped a tender to build two new blocks at 
the Temelin plant in April. 
    A company from China could join the participants in the 
original tender -- which included France's Areva  AREVA.PA , a 
consortium including Russia's Atomstroyexport and Toshiba 
 6502.T  U.S. unit Westinghouse -- Mladek had said. 
    Korea's KEPCO  052690.KS  has also shown interest in a 
potential new tender. 
 
 (Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques) 
 ((jason.hovet@thomsonreuters.com; +420 224 190 476; Reuters 
Messaging: jason.hovet.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: CZECH NUCLEAR/CHINA