The Czech government has approved the contract for two new nuclear reactors with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), following a delay due to the country’s court ruling. With the official procedures now complete, the deal between KHNP and Czech utility company Elektrárna Dukovany II (EDU II) can proceed as soon as the court’s temporary injunction is lifted. The Czech government initially planned to approve the contract at a cabinet meeting early on May 7, ahead of a signing ceremony in the afternoon. While the court’s injunction delayed the ceremony, the government still approved the contract as planned.
The Czech government on May 8 said that it had given prior approval for the contract to be signed at the earliest opportunity. In a press conference following a meeting with South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said, “KHNP’s proposal was the best in all aspects, which is why we chose them as the supplier.” He also confirmed, “Today, we have approved the contract with KHNP.”
Fiala emphasized that while the court’s ruling and resulting delay are respected, the government intends to complete all necessary steps immediately once the court lifts the injunction. “We want to make sure there are no further delays,” he added.
The Czech government also revealed the pricing details for the Dukovany nuclear project. Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura explained that the cost of the reactors would be about 200 billion koruna (12.7 trillion won) based on 2024 prices. This would result in an electricity price of less than 90 euros per megawatt-hour, which is roughly 142,000 KRW. This matches the previously mentioned total cost for Units 5 and 6 at Dukovany. Experts suggest that the final cost could change depending on inflation when the project moves forward. Stanjura also expressed hope that the court would quickly decide on the appeal filed by Czech Energy Company (CEZ) to avoid further delays to the project.
After discussions with KHNP, Czech officials confirmed a 30% local participation rate in the construction of the nuclear plant, with plans to increase it to 60%. Czech Industry Minister Lukáš Vlček said, “We have secured 30% participation from Czech companies, and our goal is to raise this to about 60% in the future.”
