Delegation of Over 60 Members Scheduled for Two-Week On-Site Inspection
The Czech power authority, which selected 'Team Korea' led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) as the preferred negotiator for the construction of two new Dukovany nuclear reactors, has sent a large delegation to Korea to enter detailed negotiations for the final contract.
KHNP announced on the 11th that the Czech new nuclear power negotiation team, conducting talks for the construction of the new Czech nuclear power plant, will visit Korea for two weeks from today until the 22nd. KHNP explained that this visit was arranged at the request of the ordering company.
The Czech negotiation team consists of about 60 members, including Petr Zavodsky, CEO of Dukovany II Nuclear Power Company (EDU II), a subsidiary of Czech Power Company (CEZ), which ordered the construction of two Dukovany nuclear reactors. Thomas Pleskacz, Head of New Business at CEZ, the parent company of the ordering company, will also visit Korea during this period.
The negotiation team is scheduled to conduct on-site inspections at KHNP headquarters in Gyeongju, Saeul Nuclear Power Plant in Ulsan, and Doosan Enerbility factory in Changwon, and to hold negotiations with KHNP, KHNP said.
The Saeul Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2, which the Czech negotiation team will visit, are equipped with the latest Korean-designed reactors, APR-1400. Additionally, Units 3 and 4 of the same type are under construction. This is interpreted as an effort to directly verify the construction and operation status of the reactors under consideration for introduction in their own country.
The Czech negotiation team is also scheduled to visit Doosan Enerbility's Changwon plant, which manufactures key nuclear power equipment such as reactors and turbines. Some members of the Czech negotiation team have already arrived in Korea as an advance party, and additional members from various fields are expected to visit subsequently.
The Czech government previously estimated that the construction cost for the two new nuclear reactors by 'Team Korea' would reach 400 billion koruna (approximately 24 trillion KRW). However, the actual final contract amount will be specifically determined through detailed negotiations between the ordering company and KHNP.
Thomas Pleskacz, Head of CEZ, stated, "Through this visit, we can accelerate the contract negotiation process by conducting both sectoral working-level negotiations and on-site inspections that have been discussed since July." Additionally, Petr Zavodsky, CEO of the ordering company, emphasized, "Negotiations for the Dukovany Units 5 and 6 new nuclear power project contract are progressing smoothly with the goal of finalizing the contract by March 2025."
Hwang Ju-ho, CEO of KHNP, said, "KHNP and the ordering company have mutually done their best toward the common goal of successful construction of the new Czech nuclear power plant," adding, "We will continue to do our utmost to finalize the contract by March next year."
Meanwhile, KHNP formed a negotiation response task force (TF) composed of experts in technology, project management, nuclear fuel, and other fields immediately after being selected as the preferred negotiator for the Czech new nuclear power project on July 17, and is conducting final contract negotiations on-site in the Czech Republic.
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