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KHNP seemingly backs out of Europe, denies Westinghouse influence

Published: 19 Mar. 2025, 18:31

LEE JAE-LIM
[email protected]

The Dukovany nuclear power plant site in Dukovany, Czech Republic [KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR POWER]

Korea’s state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) appears to be pulling the plug on its nuclear power plant export efforts in Europe, waving the white flag most recently in the Netherlands.

The KHNP has decided to give up participation in the technical feasibility tests for new facilities to be constructed at the Borssele nuclear power plant, according to a KHNP spokesperson, leaving the U.S. nuclear firm Westinghouse Electric Company and EDF, France’s state-run electricity corporation, as the potential builders.

The JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, and other Korean media outlets suspect that the terms of an infringement settlement with Westinghouse led the Korean company to depart Europe, although it has denied the rumor, with the spokesperson stating that there is no such agreement on dividing regions of focus.

“It is a management decision for the company to prioritize the small modular reactor sector and the ongoing nuclear power plant construction project in the Czech Republic,” the KHNP spokesperson said, adding that the company is “open to bidding” on other projects that might come up in the European region in the future.

Last month, the Korean company also opted out of the feasibility study for Slovenia’s Krsko nuclear power plant expansion project, codenamed JEK2, that plans to construct one or two large-scale nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 megawatts.

The withdrawal of the Korean company from consideration for the 20 trillion won ($13.7 billion) project again left Westinghouse and EDF as bidding contenders.

KHNP also bowed out of bidding for a project tendered by Sweden’s state-run power company Vattenfall at the end of last year.

Amid successive withdrawals, speculation arose among the industry that the power firm's retreat was not coincidental but part of an undisclosed agreement with Westinghouse that was settled in January.

The U.S. company had previously claimed that KHNP’s nuclear reactors were based on its technology and appealed the Czech Republic’s decision to select the Korean firm as the preferred bidder to construct two nuclear reactors.

The settlement between the two sides cleared the way for KHNP set to finalize the signing of a $17 billion deal with the Czech government.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]