US firms seek more influence in central European nuclear power business

BRUSSELS - An official US delegation last week undertook a trade mission to the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, showing support for American firms hoping to participate in the building of new nuclear reactors in the region.

The largest potential business opportunity for US firms in the region currently lies in the Czech Republic. A state-owned Czech energy company, CEZ, last year opened a public tender for the building of two nuclear units for the Temelin nuclear power plant.

"My presence here [in the Czech Republic] clearly says how important it is for us. And I underline that I am here on a direct order from President Obama," the US under-secretary of commerce for international trade, Francisco Sanchez, said last Thursday in an interview with Hospodarske noviny, a Czech daily newspaper.

Mr Sanchez was joined on the mission by representatives from 10 US civil nuclear organisations.

The size of the Temelin tender, which includes an option to build additional reactors at other locations, is estimated at nearly €20 billion. Russia's Atomstroyexport, France's Areva and Westinghouse of the US have submitted bids.

The assessment of the bids should begin in March next year with the contract hoping to be signed at the end of the same year.

In Poland, Mr Sanchez signed the Joint Declaration on Civil Nuclear Commercial Co-operation, which calls for the governments to co-operate on civil nuclear power. Poland plans to built its first nuclear power plant by 2020.

In Warsaw, he said the co-operation agreement did not tie either side to any specific deal, the AP reported. He also said that Washington was determined to help Poland develop its civil nuclear programme any way it can.

While in Slovakia, Mr Sánchez spoke about the importance of the energy business between the two countries.

"Increasing US exports of nuclear energy products will help Slovakia meet its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the U.S. reach its goal of doubling exports. This is a win-win situation," the official statement quotes him as saying on Friday.

Last week, at the time of the US visit to the Czech Republic, Russian daily Kommersant reported Russia faced "a loss of very promising contracts" after the new center-right government of Petr Necas was set up following the Czech elections held at the end of May.

"The Czech leaders say dependence on Russia in this field [of energy] has assumed alarming proportions," the paper wrote.

Kommersant said the government would do everything to prevent Russia from gaining state property, and it would also do its utmost to eliminate Russia's Atomstroyexport from the completion of the nuclear power plant in Temelin.