South Korean KHNP expands nuclear footprint — Czechia secured, Kazakhstan looms

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has signed an agreement with Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II), a company controlled by the government of the Czech Republic, to construct two new nuclear power units at the Dukovany nuclear power plant (NPP). This happened after a local court lifted an injunction that had blocked the deal, The Korea Times reported, citing Reuters.

KHNP is the operator of nuclear and hydroelectric plants in South Korea and a subsidiary of the Korea Electric Power Corporation, the largest electric utility in the country.

On June 4, the Czech Supreme Administrative Court lifted the injunction introduced at the request of a losing bidder for the project — French energy company EDF — following EDU II’s appeal last month. The move had delayed the initial signing, scheduled for May 7, of the approximately $18.6 billion deal — South Korea’s first overseas NPP contract since 2009.

The country’s Prime Minister Petra Fiala confirmed that the companies signed the agreement on the same day the injunction was dismissed.

Separately, on Apr. 15, Czech provider of integrated energy services ČEZ, a. s., which holds a controlling stake in EDU II, signed an agreement with Kazatomprom to supply natural uranium concentrates over the next seven years for another ČEZ-controlled facility — Temelín NPP.

Meanwhile, an NPP project is also underway in Kazakhstan, with KHNP listed among potential technology providers alongside Russian Rosatom, Chinese CNNC and French EDF. KHNP CEO Whang Joo-ho confirmed the company’s readiness to share South Korea’s advanced expertise in implementing the project during a meeting with Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Energy Agency.

However, some experts believe Rosatom will actively pursue the project by offering Kazakhstan the most attractive contract terms.