By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

The government is pushing for a major nuclear plant construction deal with Turkey, following its landmark $40 billion nuclear technology export deal concluded Sunday with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) official said Monday.

"KEPCO is in talks with Turkey for the construction of up to four light-water type power reactors, the same type scheduled to be built in the UAE," said the official, asking for anonymity. Each reactor is expected to cost $5 billion.

He said the Turkish government is expected to open bidding for the project early next year.

Market analysts say the UAE deal will help convince Turkey and other countries to consider importing nuclear power reactors from South Korea, the world's No.6 nuclear power holder in terms of generating capacity.

Turkey has scrapped a 2008 tender won by a Russian-led consortium to build the country's first nuclear power plant, the official said. The tender was cancelled largely because only one consortium had bid for the project and offered an above-market price for supplying electricity.

The state-run electricity company also plans to bid for several more orders from countries including Jordan, India and China, the official said.

"The chances of Korea winning the bid are strong as its competitiveness in nuclear power is becoming highly recognized in the Middle East," another official said.

A consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corp. won a $40 billion contract Sunday to build and operate nuclear power plants in the UAE.

It was the largest-ever energy deal awarded in the Middle East, which has sought to replace oil with nuclear power and other alternative energy sources amid falling oil reserves.

The UAE's choice was reportedly made strictly on its commercial interests and safety regulations.

"We were impressed by the Korean consortium's world-class safety record and its demonstrated ability to meet UAE program goals," Mohamed al-Hammadi, CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), said Sunday.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr