On December 1st 2022 – Further to the invitation to submit bids received on 17 March 2022, as part of the tender procedure launched by ČEZ, its affiliate Elektrárna Dukovany II (EDU II) and the Czech authorities, EDF submitted:
- Its Initial Bid to supply engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning activities for one (1) EPR1200 reactor at the Dukovany site (unit 5), and design and implementation activities for nuclear fuel and delivery of fuel assemblies for this project;
- two (2) Indicative Proposals aiming to support the development of a fleet of reactors in the Czech Republic, based on one additional unit at the Dukovany site (unit 6) and two additional units at the Temelín site (units 3 and 4).
EDF’s Initial Bid is based on the proven and complementary skills of EDF, its partners and the Czech Nuclear Industry. EDF acts as the supplier of the EPR1200 technology and relies on:
- the know-how of its subsidiary Framatome to supply the engineering studies and equipment for the nuclear steam supply system;
- its historical and trusted partners: GE Steam Power for the supply of the engineering studies and equipment of the conventional island, which is to be equipped with the French Arabelle steam turbine, and Bouygues Travaux Publics for the performance of the civil works activities.
EDF’s proposal combines:
- A generation III+ EPR1200 reactor technology, leveraging the EPR reactor family’s optimisations and experience adapted to the specificities of the Dukovany site;
- A fully integrated proposal encompassing design, engineering, construction, commissioning (“EPC”) and extensive training, licensing and technical assistance to support pre-operation and operation;
- A proven delivery model relying on EDF as main supplier for all the necessary packages from EPC activities to Nuclear Fuel.
- A long term partnership approach between the French and Czech nuclear industries supported by a tailor-made Czech localisation process enhancing economic value for the Czech Republic.
In this spirit, EDF is deploying a strategy based on:
- In-depth work to identify Czech companies that could be selected as suppliers for the project; to date nearly 200 Czech companies have been identified and approximately 70 have been prequalified;
- The organization of dedicated training sessions to familiarise Czech industrial players with EDF’s suppliers‘ qualification process and relevant codes and standards
- The expansion of the EDF Nuclear Czechia branch in Prague, dedicated to the development of EDF’s nuclear activities for the Czech market with the purpose of coordinating local efforts for a successful long term cooperation with ČEZ and the Czech industry.
This first step is a key milestone for EDF and its partners. It marks EDF's commitment to the development of the Czech nuclear programme and the company’s aspiration towards the development of an EPR fleet of reactors across Europe.
Luc Rémont, Chairman and CEO of the EDF Group said: "EDF is highly committed to be selected as preferred partner for Dukovany 5 and the further expansion of ČEZ’ nuclear fleet with its state-of-the-art European EPR1200 technology. This would pave the way for a long term strategic and industrial European partnership, benefitting from the fleet effect of the EPR technology in Europe, and creating many industrial synergies between our respective nuclear programmes in the coming decades. EDF and ČEZ share many values and I am convinced that our proposal will reflect the enhanced benefit of a cooperation amongst two leading European nuclear operators committed to support net-zero objectives in Europe.“