France's orders

Nuclear energy becomes a nuclear “fission fungus” in the EU

The Dukovany nuclear power plant is now to be expanded with help from Paris.(Bild: Petr David Josek)

French President Emmanuel Macron used the nuclear forum in the Czech Republic to secure nuclear contracts worth millions.

The French state-owned electricity company EDF is already well in the running for the expansion of the Czech reactors Dukovany and Temelín. Following a public tender, a South Korean bidder is the only remaining competitor. President Macron exchanged views all the more intensively with his Prague counterpart Petr Pavel.

EDF itself has major problems in France and is now offering a modified reactor type for Dukovany that does not even exist yet. That cannot go well.

GLOBAL-2000-Experte Reinhard Uhrig

"EDF itself has major problems in France and is now offering a modified reactor type for Dukovany that doesn't even exist yet. That can't work," says the internationally networked Viennese GLOBAL 2000 expert Reinhard Uhrig, who is extremely critical of the impending deal.

Climate neutrality achievable?
Meanwhile, the EU energy ministers' summit revealed the differences on the path to climate neutrality. While France is happy to take any route, including the full use of nuclear energy, an alliance of eco-states including Austria, Germany, Spain and Italy is backing renewable energy.

In contrast, the European "Nuclear Alliance" under Macron's leadership wants to achieve the targets defined by the EU with nuclear energy. "The only thing that counts is reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire bluntly.