Czech state-run power giant CEZ will press ahead with nuclear energy in order to assure the country's future energy independence, its top executive said in a newspaper interview Tuesday.

"If the Czech Republic wants to be self-sufficient in terms of energy, there are not many options other than nuclear energy," Daniel Benes, CEZ chairman and chief executive, told the largest Czech broadsheet daily DNES.

CEZ, which is almost 70-percent controlled by the Czech government, runs the Czech Republic's two nuclear power stations -- Dukovany and Temelin, both in the south of the country -- which make up one-third of the Czech power output.

"The priority is the development of nuclear energy, and not only as regards the completion of Temelin," said Benes, who became the company's head on September 15.

CEZ, Europe's second largest power exporter, expects nuclear energy to account for 50 percent of its output after adding two units at Temelin around 2025.

Groups led by US atomic energy giant Westinghouse, Russia's Atomstroiexport and France's Areva have expressed interest in the project announced in 2009. CEZ expects to sign the contract with the winner by the end of 2013.

"Temelin's capacity should replace the waning coal portfolio. Coal reserves in the Czech Republic are very limited, and further coal-fired power stations will shut down after 2020," said Benes.

"If we lose nuclear energy, we will be at the mercy of Russian gas. There's no third way -- renewable sources will not cover the needs of the country," he added.

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