Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power co. (KHNP) has secured a foothold in Europe to enter the nuclear market there by being selected as the preferred bidder of the Czech nuclear power project. The signing of a final contract is slated for the first half of next year.
“Team Korea,” led by KHNP, came forward as the preferred bidder of the Czech project, outbidding France’s EDF. If finalized, Korea will achieve the second nuclear power plant export to the Czech Republic, following the construction of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates.
KHNP’s selection as the preferred bidder of the new nuclear power plant project recognizes Korea’s capabilities to build new nuclear power plants, dubbed “K-Nuclear” in Europe, the birthplace of the nuclear power industry, thus catapulting efforts to explore overseas markets.
An increasing number of countries have been building nuclear power plants as electricity demand is expected to skyrocket in the “AI Era,” and nuclear power has been categorized as green energy in revised green taxonomy guidelines.
KHNP President Whang Joo-ho said, “We will accelerate efforts to win overseas nuclear power orders and bear fruits, and as KHNP was selected as the preferred bidder of the Czech nuclear power project in July, we will make our utmost until a final contract is struck.”
President Hwang made the remarks during the parliamentary audit of the National Assembly Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee held at KEPCO headquarters in Naju, Jeollanam-do, on Sept. 14.
President Hwang said, “We will diversify activities to land orders tailored to meet needs of a variety of would-be nuclear power plant importers on top of an order to improve Romania’s ongoing nuclear power facilities.”
“KHNP will successfully carry out the secondary construction project of El Dabaa in Egypt and the project to build tritium removal facility in Romania – orders we have already won,” he said.
“Globally, electricity demand for data centers, caused by the AI revolution, is predicted to jump, rapid energy price changes, caused by the international conflicts, have emerged as energy security issues, and the exacerbating of climate change badly requires global efforts for carbon neutrality,” President Hwang said.
He added that an energy mix between nuclear power, a no-carbon energy, and renewable energies needs to be established.
The Czech nuclear power project calls for building new four units — two at Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant and two at Temllin Nuclear Power Unit. A whole view of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant in the Czech Republic.
The South Korean consortium, led by KHNP, includes KEPCO E&C, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, KEPCO KPS, Doosan Enerbility Co. and Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co.
Korea plans to supply the Czech Republic with APR-1000 models, which are based on the advanced APR-1400 design employed by the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, but modified to meet local demand, including a reduced capacity.
The project is also anticipated to help South Korea penetrate deeper into the European market for nuclear energy, including in Poland, the Netherlands and Romania.
In a related development, President Yoon Suk-Yeol, on a visit to the Czech Republic, held summit talks with Czech President Petr Pavel in Prague on Sept. 19 and met with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala the following day.
Korean President Yoon’s series meetings with the Czech leaders were designed to reconfirm the two countries’ determination to collaborate on the design and construction of nuclear reactors if Korea is the final winner for the Czech nuclear power plant.
President Yoon made the visit to help Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) land the project to build two nuclear power plants near Dukovany, southern Czech, after it was selected as a preferred bidder in July.
"The new Dukovany nuclear power plant, to be constructed jointly by South Korean and Czech companies, will serve as a milestone in the mutual economic development and energy cooperation of both nations, further strengthening our strategic partnership," Yoon said in a joint press conference at Prague Castle.
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