Vlček in Valeč: Requirement for Czech industry's share in Dukovany expansion remains in force

The requirement for Czech industry to account for 60 percent of the overall work on the construction of a new nuclear source at Dukovany by the end of the project remains in force. Industry and Trade Minister Lukáš Vlček (STAN) said this at a seminar for local companies held by KHNP today in Valeč, in the Třebíč region. South Korea’s KHNP won the Czech nuclear tender last year. The minister also confirmed that the contract could be signed in the coming weeks. The Korean company is expected to build two new units at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant. The first unit is expected to be completed in 2036.

„I can responsibly say that the Korean bid was the highest-quality and best possible offer. The contract between the investor, ČEZ, and Korea’s KHNP has been completed and is undergoing final checks. Let’s not delay signing the EPC contract; there is no relevant reason to do so,“ Vlček said.

An EPC contract is a turnkey technology contract covering everything from design through manufacturing, installation and commissioning to subsequent maintenance.

Vlček discussed the involvement of Czech companies in the construction of the new Dukovany reactors during a visit to South Korea in February. Today, he recalled that during the visit, he and KHNP agreed that Czech industry would account for 30 percent of the project when the EPC contract is signed. „The requirement for overall Czech involvement to reach 60 percent by the end of the project also remains in force,“ the minister said.

In March, KHNP opened a center in Prague to provide Czech suppliers with information about individual contracts for the construction of the new nuclear units at Dukovany.

Vlček today praised KHNP and its partners for their approach to involving Czech industry in the construction of the new nuclear source. He said he had spoken with a number of potential suppliers, including in Prague on Wednesday, and that they were ready to take part in the Dukovany expansion project. „At its seminars, KHNP explains how to register and what criteria each subcontractor must meet,“ he added.

South Korea’s KHNP won the Czech nuclear tender last year, with the government preferring its bid to those of EDF and Westinghouse. The construction of new nuclear units in Czechia is expected to be the largest domestic contract in the country’s history. At current prices, the cost of the currently preferred option of building two reactors at Dukovany is 400 billion crowns.