Minister Vlček discusses Czech companies' involvement in completing Dukovany in South Korea

Czech Industry and Trade Minister Lukáš Vlček discussed the involvement of Czech companies in completing the Dukovany nuclear power plant and mutual investments during a visit to South Korea. The minister reported this on social media platform X, as did South Korean news agency Yonhap. According to Yonhap, work on an agreement to complete Dukovany with a consortium led by South Korean company KHNP is progressing smoothly, and the details are expected to be finalised in March.

„We are currently discussing not only the maximum possible involvement of industry in completing Dukovany and closer cooperation between Czech and Korean companies in the nuclear sector, but we have also already managed to agree on cooperation to develop the semiconductor ecosystem,“ Vlček wrote on X.

Both sides agreed that talks on the construction of two new units at Dukovany are progressing smoothly. Vlček negotiated the contractual terms with KHNP, which is to build the reactors in Czechia, so that the agreement could be ready by March, Yonhap reported.

The meeting between the Czech industry minister and his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Duk-geun, took place in Seoul today as part of a dialogue between the two sides on energy and supply chains. According to Yonhap, both sides are seeking closer cooperation in areas such as bilateral trade, sustainable energy and nuclear energy.

This year, the two countries are marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership. According to the South Korean minister, successful completion of the Dukovany agreement should take relations between the two countries to a new level.

The project will be the most expensive contract in the history of modern Czechia, with total costs at current prices of around CZK 400 billion. The first of the new reactors is expected to be completed in 2036.

In Seoul, Vlček also discussed cooperation in batteries and robotics, collaboration on hydrogen technology development, and mutual investments, Yonhap added.