South Korea seeks new builder for Czech nuclear plant
KHNP ends talks with a consortium over the construction of two reactors near Dukovany.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
South Korean state-owned energy producer KHNP has ended negotiations with a consortium of Daewoo Engineering & Construction and Doosan Enerbility over the construction of the new nuclear power plant near Dukovany in the Czech Republic. KHNP says it is preparing a new tender for the construction; the wider nuclear energy project will continue, according to the company.
According to KHNP, the breakdown concerns important contractual terms on which the parties could not reach agreement. The issue is the contract for the actual construction, not the entire project between KHNP and the Czech client EDU II.
KHNP wants to formally end the cooperation agreement with the existing consortium and select a new contractor. Until then, the company intends to continue necessary work itself or through separate contracts, in order to limit disruption to design and preparatory work.
The Dukovany project comprises two South Korean-designed APR1000 reactors, each with a capacity of approximately 1,000 megawatts. South Korean sources estimate the total value at about 18 billion dollars. KHNP previously won the contract against France’s EDF. According to South Korean reports, the company signed the main contract with EDU II in June 2025.
Other parts of the project have reportedly already been agreed separately. These include design work and the supply of reactor and turbine components. According to those reports, negotiations on fuel supplies and commissioning and maintenance services are still under way.
A new construction partner could put the schedule and costs under pressure, as a new tender and negotiations would be required. The precise consequences have not yet been established. KHNP says it wants to work with the Czech client and the authorities involved to prevent the overall progress from being affected.
For the Netherlands, the news is mainly relevant as a signal for the European nuclear construction market and future energy supply. It shows that major nuclear energy projects depend not only on political approval and financing, but also on contractual agreements on costs, risks and responsibilities between international companies.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- KHNP has ended negotiations on the construction contract.
- KHNP wants to select a new contractor.
- According to KHNP, the wider Dukovany project has not been cancelled.
- The project concerns two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic.
- The exact consequences for costs and the schedule remain unknown.
Left
Arguments The breakdown in the contract shows that major nuclear energy projects can create public risks when costs and responsibilities have not been adequately defined. Supporters of this perspective will call for strong public oversight, transparency and critical scrutiny of affordability before further commitments are made.
Values Public control, affordability, labour and safety standards, and protection against the transfer of private risks.
Consequences A new tender could cause delays, but could also create scope to improve the terms and better limit public risks.
Centre
Arguments A possible approach from the political centre would be not to write off the project prematurely, but to carefully redesign the tender. Nuclear power can form part of a stable, low-carbon energy supply, provided that costs, scheduling and oversight remain controllable.
Values Continuity of energy supply, administrative diligence, independent oversight and feasibility.
Consequences The key question will be whether a new contractor can be found quickly enough without compromising safety, quality or financial control.
Right
Arguments According to this perspective, the breakdown in the contract chiefly underlines how lengthy procedures and increasingly complex conditions unnecessarily delay major infrastructure projects. The preference is for clear responsibility, less bureaucracy and a swift new tender.
Values Energy security, security of supply, national strategic interests and efficiency.
Consequences Further delays could harm European energy planning and industrial competitiveness; at the same time, the new agreement must prevent costs from rising further.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The central claims can be traced directly to KHNP’s statement, as reported by Yonhap and confirmed by several South Korean news organisations. The possible consequences for scheduling and costs are described as risks, not as established outcomes.
- confirmed KHNP ended negotiations on 29 October 2026 with a consortium of Daewoo Engineering & Construction and Doosan Enerbility. — Reported by Yonhap and ChosunBiz on the basis of KHNP. source
- confirmed The negotiations stalled because of differences over important contractual terms. — KHNP gives this as the reason; it was confirmed by several reports. source
- confirmed KHNP is preparing a tender for a new contractor. — Reported in KHNP’s statement via Yonhap. source
- confirmed The project comprises two APR1000 reactors of approximately 1,000 megawatts each. — Described by Yonhap and Aju Press. source
- confirmed The project is worth approximately 18 billion dollars. — The sources cite amounts of around 17.5 to 18 billion dollars; the figure has therefore been rounded. source
- confirmed KHNP previously won the contract against EDF. — Recent background reports describe KHNP as the winner of the earlier selection process. source
- uncertain The breakdown could put the schedule and costs under pressure. — This is a plausible risk mentioned by the sources, but its scale has not yet been established. source
Editor's note
It is certain that KHNP has ended negotiations with the Daewoo-Doosan consortium and wants to seek a new contractor. The exact financial consequences and the ultimate impact on the schedule are uncertain; no definitive decisions or independent estimates are yet available.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „kernenergie dukovany”
- Trouw — „kernenergie dukovany”
- RTL Nieuws — „kernenergie dukovany”