2 weeks Ago By [email protected](KoreaTimes)
Cooling towers of the Dukovany nuclear power plant rise high above the natural surroundings of Dukovany, Czech Republic, seen in this 2011 photo. AP-Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwan The Korean government’s ongoing initiative to build two nuclear reactors in the Dukovany region of the Czech Republic will proceed as planned despite the intensifying political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, the eastern European country’s government said on Wednesday.
The Czech government and its state-run utility company said that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) remains their preferred bidder ahead of its American (Westinghouse Electric Corp.) and French (EDF Energy) competitors for the project, even after the controversial decree caused a stir in Korea. A Czech nuclear inspection team is also currently touring Korea, assessing companies that will be building the new power plant in Dukovany once the Seoul-Prague deal is finalized in March next year.
CEZ Group, the largest utility company in the Czech Republic which had tendered the bid, said on Dec. 4, a day after Yoon declared martial law only to be rejected by the National Assembly, that the political turmoil in Korea will not affect the Seoul-Prague energy deal. CEZ spokesperson Ladislav Kriz said that the Czech company’s deal with the KHNP to build reactors No.
5 and 6 at the Dukovany nuclear power plant will be proceeding, according to a report by a Czech news outlet. The KHNP on Wednesday confirmed the report’s veracity. Kriz added that the situation in Korea, in which Yoon and the former minister of national defense are under investigation for treason, will not affect the nuclear power plant project in the long term.
Czech government spokesperson Vaclav Smolka said that the KHNP’s construction of the reactors and supply of nuclear power for local electricity generation are “being managed according to the two countries’ negotiated terms,” according to the Czech news report. He added that there are “no problems preventing the Dukovany project from proceeding further.” The Czech government’s remarks are in line with those of the country's delegation who are currently undertaking a field inspection of offices and factories of KEPCO E&C and Doosan Enerbility in Korea.
The two firms will be responsible for the new Dukovany nuclear power plant's construction. The tour began on Monday and continues until Thursday. The delegation also previously visited Korea for the same purpose last month.
“Regardless of the political situation, our nuclear power plant export procedure will progress as planned in accordance with CEZ Group,” a KHNP official said..
