KHNP Strikes Contract to Build Two New Nuclear Power Units in Dukovany, Czech

President Hwang Ju-ho of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) (Photos: KHNP)

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed a contract to build the new Dukovany Nuclear Power Units 5 and 6 with Dukovany II Nuclear Power Plant (EDU II) on June 4, the project owner, the Korean power company said on June 5.

KHNP and EDU II wrapped up a contract as the Czech Supreme Administrative Court reversed a lower court’s injunction on the ban of the contract, filed by the French bidding rival EDF.

KHNP will supply two Korean nuclear power APR1000 units near the current Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, about 200 km southeast of Prague.

If the Czech government decides to construct two more nuclear power units at the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant within five years, KHNP is more likely to strike a contract on the new Temelín Nuclear Power Units 3 & 4.

KHNP and the project owner are going to be in full swing after holding a kick-off meeting.

KHNP is expected to open a project construction office in the Dukovay area to embark on the Dukovay Nuclear Power Units 5 & 6 project in a stable fashion.

The project construction office is to hire dispatched manpower with expertise and capability and swiftly carry out initial stage work of major projects, including a site survey.

KHNP will be involved in supplying the entirety of the nuclear power construction project, such as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), commissioning and nuclear fuel supply by teaming up with Team Korea partners: KEPCO E&C (design), Doosan Enerbility (major equipment and construction), Daewoo E&C (construction), KEPCO NF (nuclear fuel), and KEPCO KPS (commissioning and maintenance).

A bird’s eye-view of the Czech Dukovany Nuclear Power Units 5 & 6.

As a result, Team Korea partners, such as KEPCO E&C, KEPCO KPS, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, Doosan Enerbility and Daewoo E&C are expected to sign subcontract agreements in each company’s participation area.

KHNP plans to have two sessions to explain the registration procedure for qualified suppliers, subsidiary device list, quality and technology standards to target Korean nuclear power industry companies wanting to participate in the project this year.

EDU II, the project owner, will proceed with a variety of construction preparation procedures, such as power plant design, licenses and permissions in cooperation with KHNP so that the construction of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Unit 5 can be launched in 2029.

The Czech nuclear power plant is Korea’s second nuclear power technology export, following the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates.

For Korea, which once imported European nuclear power technology, the exporting milestones take on a greater significance as the nation has become an exporter of nuclear power to Europe.

In 1982, the construction of Haneul Nuclear Power Units 1 & 2 adopted the French Flamatome reactor with a capacity of 950MW.

KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho said, “The contract is an achievement that globally recognizes Korea’s nuclear power industry technology and reliability one again.”

“KHNP will devote itself to raising the global competitiveness of the Korean nuclear power ecosystem and fulfill its responsibility for the future generations through the safe and sustainable energy and we will make all-out efforts to successfully implement the project through cooperation with the Czech Republic,” he said.

With the signing of the contract on the Czech nuclear power plant project, expectations in the Korean nuclear power industry ecosystem are on the rise.

The construction cost of the two new Dukovany nuclear power units stands at approximately 26 trillion won (CZK407 billion), the largest-ever project in Czech history.

If the Czech government decides to build two more nuclear power units in the Temelín area, KHNP is more likely to land the additional project.

In that case, the two projects are predicted to have an economic effect worth about 50 trillion won.

Prof. Chung Bum-jin with Kyung Hee University said, “Nuclear power is an integrated industry, and the European export takes on significance as nuclear power makes inroads into other industries. The construction of major equipment, construction and civil engineering have opened up the European market.”

“As the United States envisions the construction of 300 nuclear power units, the global nuclear power industry is expected to become a bigger market, and Korea has proved its own nuclear power capability before the full market opening.”