Press releases pg. 1

The European Commission has included the lithium mining project at Cínovec and its processing in Prunéřov, Chomutov District, Ústí nad Labem Region, as a strategic project under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). This step confirms the Czech deposit’s key importance in the pan-European context. Inclusion on the strategic list brings a number of advantages to the Czech lithium project. For example, it may facilitate financing or streamline permitting processes. The project could now receive support from EU financial institutions, but it will also be more attractive to private investors.

This year’s first investment for the CEZ Group Inven Capital fund is the German corporation Vytal, which supports the circular economy, through reusable food and beverage packages. To achieve a more sustainable approach without needless waste, it developed a unique technology platform that allows it to ensure 99% return of packaging into the system, thereby reducing emissions by up to 85% compared to disposable products. The company operates in 24 countries, working with more than 7,000 business partners, including global brands like KFC, and Pepsi. Vytal has ambitions to expand its operations primarily to major mass events in the US, and to strengthen its position as the global leader. In the last investment round, Inven Capital with NRW.Ventures backed vytal with EUR 8 million. Since Inven’s establishment, this is the 7th investment in Germany.

After two years of demanding negotiations, ČEZ trading experts have concluded a contract with the Algerian company SONATRACH for the supply of gas from Algeria. The supplies were launched in October this year. Gas will travel from Algeria via Tunisia, then through an undersea pipeline to Italy, and on to Europe and Czech Republic. The contract for an annual volume that will be able to cover the annual consumption of some 100,000 households, representing approximately 2 percent of the country’s annual gas consumption. ČEZ has been supported by the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and the Czech Embassy in Algeria.

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited (Rolls-Royce SMR) and ČEZ Group (CEZ) have today announced that they will join forces to bring their global capabilities and know-how to the deployment of Rolls-Royce SMR’s small modular reactor (SMR) technology. This is enabled by an equity investment by CEZ into Rolls-Royce SMR and a strategic partnership to deploy up to 3GW of electricity in the Czech Republic using Rolls-Royce SMR power plants.