EDF opens a branch in Prague in the face of growing competition for Dukovany 5
On the occasion of its Czech-French partners day for the Dukovany 5 nuclear power plant project on June 29, EDF announced the opening of its EDF Nuclear Czechia agency in Prague, dedicated to supporting the development of nuclear activities in ‘EDF for the Czech market. “This decision confirms EDF’s long-term commitment to supporting Czech nuclear ambitions with its reactor technologies and overall value proposition,” EDF noted.
The announcement was made during a press conference in the presence of the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Franck Riester, who expressed the full support of the French government for the offer made by EDF for the construction of an EPR1200 reactor on the Dukovany site.
EDF has appointed Roman Zdebor as Managing Director of EDF Nuclear Czechia odštepný závod. With almost 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry, mainly associated with Škoda JS in the Czech Republic, Zdebor has held several management positions, both in technical and commercial activities. For the past few years, he has worked as a construction readiness manager for the now-cancelled Hanhikivi nuclear power plant project in Finland.
EDF Nuclear Czechia will support all of EDF’s nuclear activities in the Czech Republic, with the priority of contributing to the consolidation of EDF’s EPR1200 offer for the Dukovany 5 call for tenders launched by C?EZ and accelerate the dynamic of cooperation between the awarding teams in France and Czech industrial partners.
The Franco-Czech Partners Day, organized at the Czech Chamber of Commerce in Prague, was a “closed session” bringing together Czech and French Tier 1 industrial companies selected to be part of EDF’s industrial plan for the construction of a nuclear reactor EPR1200 unit at the Dukovany site. EDF and its partners, namely BAEST Machines & Structures, Bouygues Travaux Publics, EDF, Framatome, GE Steam Power, Hutní Montáže, I&C Energo, Metrostav DIZ, Reko Praha, Sigma Group and Škoda JS, “shared the state of advancement of their joint work to set up an integrated delivery team and reiterated their mutual commitment and shared values with the signing of the Dukovany 5 Delivery Team Values Pledge for EDF’s EPR1200 tender” .
In addition, EDF, Bouygues Travaux Publics and Metrostav DIZ signed a three-party partnership agreement focusing on civil engineering activities in order to guarantee a strong share of local content for the construction of the Dukovany 5 project. The event was inaugurated by the French Minister Delegate Franck Riester, in the presence of Czech Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade Tomáš Ehler.
Vakisasai Ramany, EDF Senior Vice-President in charge of New Nuclear, said: “Our presence in the Czech Republic is strengthened to support our ambition to offer CEZ and the Czech people the most reliable and more sustainable for a sovereign and strong economy new Czech nuclear program. EDF measures the responsibility and the great opportunities that a Franco-Czech partnership would offer to our countries and to Europe. We reaffirm our objective to consolidate the commitment between our industries for the success of Dukovany 5 and future EPR projects in Europe.
Photo courtesy of CEZ
