A view of the new nuclear power plant site in Dukovany. /Courtesy of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
The Czech government noted that the signing of a contract for a new nuclear power plant project with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power may be postponed until after the general elections in October.
According to the local CTK news agency on the 27th (local time), Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said regarding the Dukovany nuclear power project, “The schedule for the start of the new nuclear power plant in 2036 is valid,” while also stating, “The contract could be signed after the general elections in October.”
Earlier, KHNP was set to sign a final contract for the construction of a new nuclear power plant with the Dukovany II Nuclear Power Company (EDU II), a subsidiary of ČEZ, on the 7th, but the deal fell through. This was a result of a Czech court accepting a preliminary injunction filed by its competitor, Électricité de France (EDF), on the previous day, the 6th.
As a result, KHNP and the contracting entity EDU II have appealed to the Czech Supreme Court, while the Czech government and energy authorities have also expressed their intention to claim damages from EDF due to the contract delay.
The Dukovany nuclear power project involves the construction of two new reactors at the existing nuclear power plant located in the southeastern region of Dukovany, aligning with the Czech Republic’s strategy to enhance energy security and phase out coal. Three companies participated in the final bidding: KHNP, EDF, and the American firm Westinghouse, with KHNP being selected as the preferred bidder in July.
EDF, which lost the bid, has consistently claimed that there were issues with the fairness of the contract process and has reportedly raised objections with the European Union (EU), stating that KHNP violated regulations regarding subsidies. The EU is also considering whether to conduct an ex-officio investigation.
However, there are predictions that KHNP’s preferred bidder status is unlikely to be lost. The industry believes that EDF has filed an administrative lawsuit with the Czech court due to the political situation in France and that the grounds for overturning the contract are insufficient.
Source: Chosun.Biz
