Yoon, Czech prime minister visit Doosan Skoda Power, sign nuclear energy cooperation agreements

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Yoon, Czech prime minister visit Doosan Skoda Power, sign nuclear energy cooperation agreements

Published: 20 Sep. 2024, 20:50 Updated: 22 Sep. 2024, 16:03

SARAH KIM
kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala clap after signing a turbine blade at Doosan Skoda Power in the Plzen industrial park in the Czech Republic on Friday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

PRAGUE — Korea and the Czech Republic agreed to strengthen bilateral nuclear power plant cooperation through a series of agreements sealed as the two countries' leaders visited turbine manufacturer Doosan Skoda Power on Friday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, accompanied by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, visited Pilsen, also known as Plzen, an industrial city in western Bohemia southwest of Prague known as a hub for defense and heavy machinery industries.

Upon arriving at Doosan Skoda Power, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction's Czech steam turbine maker subsidiary, Yoon and Fiala took part in a signing ceremony sealing a nuclear power plant life cycle cooperation agreement. They were joined by representatives of companies, institutions and organizations related to the nuclear energy industry from both countries, including Doosan Skoda Power executives and employees, the presidential office said in a statement.

"With an opportunity provided by the nuclear power plant project, Korea and the Czech Republic will become future leaders in the era of the global nuclear power renaissance," Yoon said at the event.

"The Korean government will spare no efforts to ensure that today's nuclear power plant cooperation promises are faithfully implemented."

From left, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, Czech Industry Minister Jozef Sikela and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala attend a signing ceremony for agreements on nuclear power plant cooperation at Doosan Skoda Power in Plzen in the Czech Republic on Friday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

In July, the Czech government decided on a Korean consortium led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and joined by Doosan Enerbility and Daewoo Engineering & Construction as the preferred bidder to build two nuclear reactors in Dukovany in an estimated 24 trillion ($17.3 billion) won project.

A total of 13 memorandums of understanding (MOU) were signed in key sectors making up the nuclear power plant ecosystem, including in nuclear power plant design and operation, nuclear fuel and waste management, the presidential office said.

The MOUs signed by the two countries' leaders included nuclear power plant cooperation, securing the supply of turbines for the Czech nuclear power plant project, bilateral nuclear technology cooperation, establishment of a nuclear cooperation center and localization of equipment and materials for the reactor project.

The two sides also signed agreements on cooperation in jointly training nuclear power experts between universities, enabling joint research on nuclear power technology between research and development (R&D) institutions and establishing a supply chain for additional equipment other than turbines.

Yoon and Fiala inspected Doosan Skoda Power's production facilities prior to the signing ceremony.

"Team Korea has been safely constructing and operating nuclear power plants for more than 50 years," Yoon said, noting Korea will be the "optimal partner" to keep its promise of "On Time, On Budget" in the construction of nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic.

Yoon and Fiala also took part in an event to sign the rotating blades mounted on turbines, signifying Korea and the Czech Republic's willingness to cooperate in building a nuclear power plant together and showing that the two governments will jointly support cooperation between their companies, the presidential office said.

Turbines and blades produced by Doosan Skoda Power will be provided to KHNP if Korea is selected as the final contractor for the new Czech nuclear power plant construction project in March next year. Doosan Skoda Power has supplied turbines to some 26 European nuclear power plants.

The two leaders later jointly inspected Skoda JS, a Czech nuclear power plant equipment manufacturer owned by Czech electricity producer CEZ. After returning to Prague, Yoon had a working lunch with Fiala and held a joint news conference.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]