KHNP submits final bid for Czech power plant project

Four cooling towers are running at the Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic in 2011. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) submitted its final bid for a nuclear power plant construction project in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

The state-run nuclear utility is competing with Westinghouse Electric from the United States and Electricite de France, or EDF, France’s state-run electricity corporation.

Elektrárna Dukovany II (EDU II), a subsidiary of Czech state utility CEZ, plans to build a 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant in Dukovany. The construction of the new nuclear unit will begin in 2029, with the commissioning slated for 2036.

The country’s nuclear agency issued a tender invitation to possible contractors in Korea, the United States, and France, which submitted the initial bid in November last year.

KHNP said that its final bid has been drafted in collaboration with its partners — including Doosan Enerbility, Daewoo Engineering & Construction and Kepco Engineering & Construction — and incorporates their customer’s additional requests.

“[EDU II] will select the preferred bidder by the first half of next year, and, after negotiation, the contract will be closed by the end of that year,” said KHNP CEO Whang Joo-ho.

Korea is looking to become a powerhouse in nuclear power plant exports. The government plans to export 10 nuclear plants by 2030. The first export deal, securing the construction of a plant in the United Arab Emirates, began operations earlier this year. Korea has yet to ink a second deal.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]