Czech cos will get large orders if Russian-Czech consortium wins Temelin NPP tender - Medvedev
GORKI. May 27 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has promised that Czech companies will receive 6 billion euro worth of orders if a Russian-Czech consortium wins the tender to build two units of the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
"A Russian-Czech consortium will participate with pleasure in the international tender for the construction of new units at the Temelin NPP. If we are able to prove the solidity of our position, Czech companies will receive very significant orders worth up to 6 billion euro," Medvedev said after meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas.
The Russian prime minister said he hoped that the decision on the tender "will be made based on objective considerations."
Necas guaranteed complete objectivity. "I've assured Mr. Prime Minister that the tender procedures will be conducted objectively and transparently and that the best of the contenders will win," the Czech prime minister said.
The Czech Republic "absolutely welcomes the participation of the Russian MIR consortium in tender procedures to complete the two Temelin NPP units," he said.
Necas thanked Medvedev for open and fruitful dialog. He said Russia was the main and key strategic partner for the Czech Republic not only in politics and economics but also in investment and trade, and in security policy.
"Development of cooperation in all these profiles makes its contribution to the improved prosperity the Czech and Russian populations and is therefore in the interests of both countries," he said.
Necas said specific contracts on energy and machine-building projects would be signed during his visit.
The Russian prime minister said his Czech counterpart's visit was unprecedented in its level and content as he was accompanied by a large business delegation a d would visit Sochi, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg besides Moscow.
"All this demonstrates that our relations are on a firm footing and are part of our strategic cooperation with the European Union," Medvedev said.
The Russian-Czech Modernized International Reactor (MIR 1200) consortium consists of Atomstroyexport (ASE), OKB Gidropress and Skoda JS.
Czech power company CEZ announced the tender to build the third and fourth blocks at the Temelin NPP on August 3, 2009. Tender offers were submitted to CEZ at the start of July of last year. The Czech company will sign a contract with the tender's winner by the end of 2013. The licensing and design phase will run 44 months after the contract's signing. Construction of the new units should commence in 2017.
CEZ is considering applications from the Russian-Czech consortium and Japanese-American company Westinghouse.
MIR 1200 has pledged to sign contracts with three Czech companies - ZAT, Hochtief CZ and UJV Rez - if the consortium wins a tender to complete construction of the third and fourth units of the Temelin nuclear power plant.
Two NPPs currently operate in the Czech Republic: the Dukovany NPP (four power units with VVER-440 reactors) and the Temelin NPP (two VVER-1000 units), which were built as Soviet-era projects.
