Combination of reactors and renewables ‘the most suitable’
Support for the development of nuclear energy in the Czech Republic is nearing historic highs, with 71% of adults in favour, according to a public opinion survey by research agency IBRS for Czech utility ČEZ.
The findings mark an increase compared to previous surveys and are just below the record levels recorded during a poll amidst the energy crisis in autumn 2022, IBRS said.
More than half of respondents (56%) believe a combination of nuclear power and renewable energy sources represents “the most suitable” long-term energy solution for the country.
Public opinion increasingly views the two energy sources as complementary rather than competing, the survey, which polled 500 adults nationwide, found.
“Nuclear energy and renewables are not seen as competing alternatives but as mutually reinforcing pillars of modern and clean energy,” said Milos Rybacek, managing director at IBRS.
“The results indicate that the public is beginning to perceive stabilisation in the energy sector and trusts long-term measures such as constructing new nuclear units and expanding renewable energy,” he said.
IBRS said 41% of participants in the poll said they were aware of South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) winning a tender to build new reactor units at the Dukovany nuclear power station, with most viewing the decision positively.
The survey also recorded a gradual decline in concerns about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Czech energy sector. It found that 59% of participants believe the conflict still affects Czech energy self-sufficiency, a drop of six percentage points since spring 2024.
The Czech Republic has six commercially operational reactor units: four Russia-designed VVER-440 units at Dukovany and two larger VVER-1000 units at Temelín. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, in 2023 the six units provided 40% of the country’s electricity production.
In July 2024, ČEZ chose KHNP to build two new pressurised water reactor units at Dukovany with deployment planned for the second part of the 2030s.
