CEZ Group s Dukovany Power Plant II has received final bids for theconstruction of a new nuclear power plant in Dukovany from three bidders

CEZ Group s Elektrarna Dukovany II - EDU II, a wholly owned subsidiaryof CEZ, has received final bids for the construction of a new nuclearpower plant in Dukovany from three bidders. The suppliers submitted abinding bid for Dukovany Unit 5 and non-binding bids for the other threeunits. US-Canadian Westinghouse, French EdF and Korean KHNP had until11am today to submit their bids. EDU II will now evaluate the bids fromeconomic, commercial, and technical points of view. The evaluation modelis set up on the basis of recommendations from the International AtomicEnergy Agency (IAEA).

"We are happy to confirm the strong interest of all three bidders inconstructing a new nuclear power plant in Czechia. We have seen carefulpreparation by all bidders since the tender was launched in March lastyear. Now we will evaluate the bids and, according to the contract withthe state, we will submit the evaluation report to the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade and then to the Czech government for final approval,"says Tom_#225;_#353; Pleska_#269;, member of the Board of Directors and Director of CEZs New Energy Division.

The bids were submitted electronically through special encryption and auniquely secure storage.

It is expected that the contracts will be finalized within the nextyear. After the final signing of the contracts, the projectdocumentation will be thoroughly prepared so that the new unit will beready for trial operation in 2036. The new Dukovany unit will be builtnext to the existing power plant and will replace part of its capacityin the future. The first unit of the Dukovany nuclear power plant wascommissioned in 1985.

Support for the development of nuclear power Czechia is above 70%, whichis uniquely high in Europe. This is based on a long-term surveyconducted by IBRS.

Alongside the tender procedure, the wholly owned subsidiary ElektrarnaDukovany II, a. s., - EDU II is working on other parts of the project.After the Ministry of the Environment issued a positive EnvironmentalImpact Assessment EIA opinion in 2019, it also received a Siting Permitfrom the State Office for Nuclear Safety and a Generating PlantAuthorization from the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2021. Thezoning procedure is currently under way, having been applied for by EDUII to the building authority on June 1, 2021.

The most important advantages of nuclear power include ensuring energystability, low operating costs, i.e., long-term safety of operatingnuclear power plants, stable and acceptable prices, and reliability ofelectricity supply. The ecological aspects are crucial, as emission-freeelectricity makes a major contribution to combating global warming.Nuclear power generation is not associated with CO2 emissions, so theoperation of nuclear power plants contributes significantly to theoverall reduction of carbon dioxide emissions_#8212;the most importantgreenhouse gas.