Prunerov Power Station

The Prunéřov power station is the largest coal-fired power station in the Czech Republic with installed capacity of 1,490 megawatts (MW). It is located near Kadaň.

Background
According to the study Dirty Thirty, issued in May 2007 by the World Wide Fund for Nature, Prunéřov Power Station is the twelfth-worst power station in Europe in terms of the relation of energy efficiency to carbon dioxide emissions. Power station is largest single source of CO2 in Czech Republic. In 2008 it emitted 9,210 millions of metric tons of CO2. Unit 2 (EPRU II) of Prunéřov power station has a 300 meter tall flue gas stack.

CEZ announced plan to modernize unit 2. This plan was challenged by Micronesia on the grounds that the expansion of the power station has impact to the climate and through this to the environment of Micronesia. According to the Czech environment ministry that modernization plan does not include best available technology.

On January 26 2010 Czech minister of the Environment Jan Dusík informed he was calling in international experts to carry out an environmental impact assessment of plans to modernize the power station. In March he publicly released the report from Det Norske Veritas, that proved lack of best available technology in the CEZ plan EIA. Shortly after Minister Dusík resigned, while claiming he was under pressure from prime minister Jan Fischer (politician) to approve CEZ plan EIA. As a result the Green party also withdrew his second minister from government. After short led by Minister of Agriculture Jakub Šebesta former CEZ employee Rút Bízková was appointed as Minister of the Environment and after two weeks in office he approved CEZ plan EIA in April.

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