Czechs plan to build new nuclear unit by 2036

The Czech Republic is planning to build a new multi-billion-euro nuclear unit at the southern Dukovany plant by 2036, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Wednesday. He added that the supplier was due to be picked by the end of 2022 with construction beginning in 2029.

"Energy security is a priority for us. It's all linked to what's happening in Europe - climate change and emissions," Babis told reporters. He singled out France as a model nation where nuclear power makes up 75 percent of the power mix, against 30 percent in the Czech Republic.

"France is the leader... of the initiative for cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 to zero, and I understand why," Babis said.