KHNP bids for new 1,200MW Czech nuclear plant project

Cooling towers of Dukovany nuclear power plant in Dukovany, Czech Republic, Sept. 27, 2011. AP-Yonhap

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has submitted a final version of its bid to participate in a new nuclear reactor construction project in the Czech Republic, according to the state-run nuclear power plant operator, Wednesday.

The company tendered the bid to Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II), a subsidiary of the European nation's state-run utility firm CEZ, for a 1,200 megawatt-capacity nuclear reactor in the country's Dukovany region. The region currently has a nuclear power station up and running.

EDU II plans for construction to begin on the new reactor in 2029 for a launch of commercial operations in 2036.

U.S.-based Westinghouse and France’s EDF have also joined the bidding. The three companies submitted their initial bids in November 2022.

The final version of the KHNP bid has been reviewed by the state-run and private companies that will tackle the project if the Korean company bags the bid. This includes Korea Electric Power Corp. Engineering and Construction (KEPCO E&C), KEPCO Plant Service and Engineering (KEPCO KPS), KEPCO Nuclear Fuel (KEPCO NF), Doosan Enerbility and Daewoo Engineering & Construction.

"We had received inquiries from EDU II multiple times regarding our initial bid and responded to them accordingly," a KHNP official said. "The final bid is complete with all the data we have exchanged with EDU II."

EDU II will select a sole contractor from among the three competing firms within the first half of next year and seal the deal by the end of 2024, according to Whang Joo-ho, CEO of KHNP.

KHNP's proposed technology for the new reactor is likely to be the APR1400, according to reports. The technology used in the country's next-generation nuclear reactor model was used to upgrade existing reactors' capacity, lifespan and cost-effectiveness. It has been used by the Shin Hanul 2 reactor in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, which began test operation last month to go into full service next March.

EDU II is now expected to evaluate the bids based on economic, commercial and technical points and deliver an evaluation report to the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade.

State-owned companies from China and Russia were excluded from the bidding due to security risks, according to reports.

The new reactor will be built next to the existing power station in Dukovany and will add to the facility’s capacity once older units are decommissioned. The Czech Republic now has six operational reactors. They provided 37 percent of the country’s power production last year, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.