Completing Dukovany Will Cost Almost Twice as Much: 700 Billion Instead of 400

Building new reactor units at the Dukovany nuclear power plant will cost the Czech Republic not 400 billion crowns, as previously announced, but somewhere in the range of 600–700 billion crowns — nearly double the original estimate. That's according to former deputy prime minister and industry minister Karel Havlíček, who told Novinky that the initial figure failed to account for financing costs, namely interest on the loan the state will provide for construction.

"If you look at what the new nuclear units in Dukovany will actually cost, it's twice two hundred billion crowns, and once you factor in the cost of money, you end up at six hundred to seven hundred billion crowns for the two large units," Havlíček said.

Experts Fear the Price Could Climb Even Higher

Specialists warn that the final bill could end up even steeper. Jiří Gavor, an analyst at ENA, described the figure as an "optimistic estimate" that only holds if there are no chronic delays or plan revisions — problems that have dogged nuclear power projects across Europe and the US for years.

According to him, the 600–700 billion crown figure is realistic only if the project sticks to the schedule based on the price offered by the Korean side and the planned deadlines. A significant share of the costs comes from interest, which is directly tied to any construction delays: if the launch slips from 2036 to 2040, the final price tag will inevitably rise.

The Cautionary Tales of France and Britain

Gavor pointed to the construction of the third reactor unit at the Flamanville nuclear plant in France. It was originally supposed to cost 3.3 billion euros (80 billion crowns), but actual investment reached 13.2 billion euros (320 billion crowns), and once financing costs are included, over 19 billion euros (460 billion crowns). The unit was also launched 12 years behind schedule.

A similar cost spiral is unfolding at the two-reactor project in Hinkley Point in the UK, where French energy giant EDF has likewise seen the original budget blown many times over. Jiří Tyleček, chief analyst at investment platform XTB, agrees: holding to the announced enormous sum will only be possible if every deadline is met, and the final price could also be affected by changes in legislation.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz