Temelín nuclear power plant will not be expanded

Relief among opponents of nuclear power across Europe: The Czech government announced in Prague that the Temelín nuclear power plant would not be expanded—for now. Opponents of nuclear power in Bavaria, in particular, reacted with great relief to the halt on the expansion of the Temelín nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic: the plant is located just around 60 kilometres from Bavaria’s border.

On Wednesday of the previous week, Czech media reported that the plant’s operator, CEZ, intended to postpone indefinitely its planned expansion from two to a total of four nuclear reactors. CEZ cited the uncertain energy market situation in 2020, when the expansion was due to be completed, as the reason for the postponement. Experts point to another reason: the company’s strained financial situation. According to estimates by specialists, the company simply does not currently have the funds needed for an expansion on the planned scale.

Temelín expansion called off: Bavaria’s Greens celebrate and criticise state government

Bavaria’s Greens expressed delight at the cancellation of the expansion in Temelín. They called it “good news” and “a stinging slap in the face for all those promoting an apparent resurgence of nuclear power”. CEZ’s U-turn also clearly shows, they said, that Europe already has an energy surplus. The Greens in the Bavarian state parliament also see the cancellation as a warning to the Bavarian state government, which had previously argued that energy policy in Europe could not progress without expanding nuclear power.