Dukovany on schedule, Havlíček and Korean minister confirm

Preparations for new nuclear units at Dukovany are continuing according to the set schedule. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) announced this following today’s meeting of the Czech-Korean steering committee for the construction of the new units, attended by Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček (ANO) and his Korean counterpart Kim Jung-kwan. In addition to the project’s status, the two ministers also discussed strengthening trade, investment and cooperation in high-tech technologies.

The meeting at the MPO took place one year after the contract for the new Dukovany units was signed. They are to be built by Korean company KHNP, which won the tender. At last year’s prices, the cost of building the two new nuclear units is expected to be CZK 407 billion for both units. The first of the new Dukovany reactors is scheduled for completion in 2036. Construction of the first unit should begin in 2029.

"I welcome the open and critical discussion, which will help reduce potential risks and minimise impacts on both the schedule and budget. Together with our Korean partners and at the MPO, we are also working intensively to further involve Czech companies and striving to create the best possible conditions for this. That we are succeeding is also confirmed by the new contract between Energoprojekt Praha and KEPCO E&C," Havlíček said.

Adherence to the agreed schedule was also confirmed by the Korean minister. "We consider effective cooperation between the governments of the Republic of Korea and the Czech Republic, as well as between our industries across sectors, to be highly important and beneficial for both countries," Kim noted.

According to the MPO, today’s talks also included strengthening cooperation between the two countries in non-nuclear areas such as trade, investment, science, research and innovation. During his two-day visit to the Czech Republic, the Korean minister also met with the leadership of the Czech Technical University (CTU), where he also viewed the premises intended for a future Czech-Korean robotics centre.

Further talks could continue in the autumn. The MPO said that Havlíček could make a working visit to Korea during this period.

The Republic of Korea is among the Czech Republic’s three largest trading partners in Asia and is currently the country’s third most important non-European economic partner. In 2025, foreign trade between the two countries reached a record USD 5.9 billion (nearly CZK 125 billion), with a significant increase in Czech exports. Interest among Korean tourists in the Czech Republic is also growing. Last year, there were 274,000 visitors, representing a year-on-year increase of seven percent.