Court rejects EDF complaint over Czech nuclear tender

EDF has 8 days to record an entreaty with the Supreme Administrative Court to contention the verdict. Photo: Michal Cizek / AFP/File
Source: AFP

A Czech tribunal connected Wednesday rejected a ailment filed by French energy radical EDF implicit the bidding process that saw it suffer retired connected a multibillion-dollar declaration to physique 2 further reactors astatine a Czech atomic plant.

If the tribunal had ruled successful EDF's favour, the steadfast would person been allowed to question compensation -- but it would not person affected the deal, signed earlier this period by Prague and South Korea's KHNP.

The operation is important for the Czech Republic, which relies connected atomic powerfulness from 2 plants for 40 percent of its energy consumption.

"The ailment has been rejected," Klara Belkovova, a spokeswoman for the Regional Court successful the metropolis of Brno, told AFP.

She said EDF had 8 days to record an entreaty with the Supreme Administrative Court to contention the verdict.

But EDF said successful a connection obtained by AFP that it would "not prosecute immoderate further ineligible enactment successful the Czech Republic", adding that it "takes note" of the Brno court's decision.

EDF has besides filed a ailment implicit the tender with the European Commission, claiming KHNP whitethorn person utilized authorities assistance that is amerciable successful the EU. The Commission has not yet decided connected the case.

In the rejected complaint, EDF questioned the transparency of the bidding process.

But Prime Minister Petr Fiala said earlier that KHNP's bid was "better successful each criteria assessed" than EDF's offer.

KHNP is owed to physique 2 atomic reactors astatine the Dukovany works for immoderate 200 cardinal Czech koruna ($9 billion) each, with operation scheduled to statesman successful 2029 and the archetypal reactor to beryllium launched successful proceedings cognition successful 2036.

Source: AFP