EDF, KHNP and Westinghouse Electric make initial bids
Final bids expected by the end of September 2023
1,200 MW unit expected to be completed by 2036

PRAGUE, Nov 30 Reuters France39;s EDF, South Korea39;s KHNP, and U.S.Canadian group Westinghouse Electric have made initial bids to build a new unit at the Czech Republic39;s Dukovany nuclear power plant, Czech utility CEZ said on Wednesday.

The Czech Republic has been a strong backer of nuclear energy as a carbonfree power source for the future, unlike European Union neighbours Germany and Austria.

Majority stateowned CEZ, which launched the Dukovany expansion tender in March, said final bids would come in by the end of September 2023.

We expect the contracts to be finalized in 2024, board member Tomas Pleskac said in a statement.

The 1,200 megawattunit should be completed in 2036 and help the country replace current Sovietdesigned units at Dukovany that will eventually be decommissioned.

CEZ plans to build three more nuclear units on top of the one now planned at its Dukovany and Temelin nuclear sites, as the country diversifies away from coal. It is also planning to build smaller modular nuclear power plants.

Nuclear made up 36 of Czech energy output in 2021.

Candidates from China and Russia were excluded on security grounds, in contrast to Hungary which has chosen Russia39;s Rosatom for its nuclear project.

Poland picked Westinghouse last month to build its first nuclear power plant, and also agreed to…