One major obstacle to the construction of new Dukovany nuclear blocks in South Korean direction is said to be gone. At least this is said by the Minister of Industry Lukáš Vlček. In mid -January, the South Korean company KHNP and its parent company KEPCO agreed with the American company Westinghouse to settle all mutual disputes. The Americans no longer question the authorization of South Koreans to use the technology they have also offered in the Czech tender. Indeed, the first, glimpse seems to have fallen, as Minister of Industry says. But a more detailed look reveals the context that suggests that the obstacle has not fallen, even the opposite. The exact wording of the Agreement between the South Korean Party and Westinghouse is not known, but it can be assumed that the Americans did not «just», even that the South Korean side had to resort to significant concessions. Part of the agreement quite probably is that the Americans will be intensively involved in the South Koreans projects, including the construction of the Dukovany blocks. Indeed, the nuclear power plant Baraká in the United Arab Emirates was primarily built by KHNP, but Westinghouse fundamentally participated in the project. Why not to tie this cooperation even in Dukovany, when both businesses have now been for good? At least we know that the agreement is preparing the land «for future cooperation between both parties in the worldwide development of nuclear energy», as Westinghouse said to settle the dispute. However, the participation of the US company in the construction of Dukovan will further reduce the chance that Czech suppliers will be at least 60 percent in the project. Although the South Koreans originally promised and operated with it during the tender, in the contract between them and the Czech side, which should be concluded this spring, it should not be explicitly listed. At the same time, there are numerous indications that both sides of the worldwide market somehow «slimmed» in the South Koreans agreement. At the end of this January, KHNP withdrew from a tender for the construction of new nuclear blocks of the power plant in the Slovenian Krška. Only French EDF and Westinghouse remain in the game. Just a month earlier, in December 2024, KHNP backed out of the tender for the construction of new nuclear blocks of the Ringhals power plant in Sweden. The remaining candidates are the same as in the Slovenian case: EDF and Westinghouse. South Koreans can therefore withdraw from European projects to increase the chances of Westinghouse, which would then make subcontractors. For example, non -European, for example Asian projects will continue to develop. If this «parcel» is part of the South Korean and US and US Party agreements, this means that Dukovany could remain a unique project in South Korean direction in Europe. South Korean nuclear technology would thus be applied to the old continent just in the Czech Republic. Therefore, the new Dukovany blocks would technological in Europe would find themselves in a certain isolation. Which is bad news for the Czech industry. If the South Koreans are overwhelming other European projects to others, Czech suppliers must have the taste that they could participate not only in the construction of new Dukovany blocks, but also other European projects by KHNP. Moreover, with the only European set of new blocks, the Dukovany, the South Koreans will do the most without embarking on the old continent roots and creating a robust supplier chain. This further reduces the chance that the Czech industry will reach 60 percent of the new Dukovan blocks on the promised promised 60 percent. There is a risk that the Czech industry, of course, including nuclear, will not be able to develop its know-how in the implementation of other European projects in South Korean direction. Thus, in the long run, the know-how of Czech nuclear suppliers will decrease, which in the future will increase the maintenance and repair of existing nuclear facilities in the Czech Republic, as foreign specialists will have to be carried out. Bottom line, the Czech Republic will pay hundreds of billions of crowns for new Dukovany blocks without having the funds spent in the domestic industry. Lukáš Kovanda, Ph.D.
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