The Czech Republic will have to build new nuclear power plants to replace aging coal and nuclear capacity even if they are in breach of European law, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Wednesday. The government wants CEZ to lead the nuclear projects but the 70% state-owned electricity producer has demanded state guarantees the plants would be both viable and deliver returns to shareholders. Babis has advocated nuclear power as a low-carbon alternative to coal, which now produces about 50% of power.
