Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has said his government will not approve a power price guarantee for electricity generated by two new reactors planned at the Temelin nuclear plant.
Czech utility CEZ began soliciting bids for the new units under a previous government, and political support for the project has been less certain under the new cabinet. Westinghouse and a consortium led by Russia's Rosatom have submitted bids to build two reactors alongside two existing Russian-designed units at the plant in Bohemia. Last month, CEZ announced the estimated start of construction was pushed back to 2019, with final bid selection slated for next year.
The CEO of CEZ, Daniel Benes, has said it's unlikely the company would sign a construction contract without a power price guarantee in place, but he later said that was not a condition of the project, according to the Czech News Agency.