KHNP ends Dukovany builder talks and plans tender for new contractor
South Korea’s nuclear operator has ended construction contract negotiations with the designated Daewoo–Doosan consortium, adding a new contractor selection step to the Czech project.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) said on 29 October it had ended construction contract negotiations with the designated Daewoo Engineering & Construction–Doosan Enerbility consortium for the Dukovany nuclear project in the Czech Republic. The sides could not agree on key terms, KHNP said, leaving it to find another builder for the planned two-reactor plant.
KHNP said it would formally conclude the talks and prepare a tender to select a new contractor. It said the breakdown did not cancel the overall nuclear plant project. The company has not announced when a replacement builder will be chosen or how the change will affect the project timetable.
Why the Dukovany construction deal broke down
KHNP attributed the failed talks to differences over key contract terms. Seoul Economic Daily reported that working-level negotiations, a dispute mediation committee and discussions between senior managers had failed to produce an agreement. KHNP’s explanation did not specify the terms still in dispute.
The Daewoo–Doosan consortium had been designated to build the plant after a South Korean consortium led by KHNP won the project in 2025, according to Yonhap. Its selection had not settled the construction contract now at issue: the parties continued negotiating that agreement until KHNP’s decision to end the talks.
What remains in place for the Czech nuclear project
The project calls for two South Korean-designed APR1000 reactors, each rated at 1,000 megawatts. Yonhap put its value at about 25 trillion won ($17.5 billion), while Seoul Economic Daily reported about 26 trillion won ($18 billion). Those figures are estimates of the overall project, not the value of the construction contract under negotiation.
KHNP signed the main project contract with Czech client EDU II in June 2025, Seoul Economic Daily reported. Separate agreements for design services and for major reactor and turbine-generator equipment have also been concluded, according to that outlet and ChosunBiz. Doosan Enerbility is an equipment supplier under those agreements as well as a member of the consortium whose construction talks ended.
How KHNP plans to bridge the builder change
Seoul Economic Daily and ChosunBiz reported that KHNP plans to carry out essential work directly while it seeks a new builder, aiming to avoid a gap before a replacement is selected. The company is also considering measures to limit disruption to the wider project, Seoul Economic Daily reported.
Choosing another contractor adds a tender and a fresh construction agreement to the work ahead. KHNP says it intends to keep the project moving, but no revised schedule or quantified delay has been established. The immediate change is to the builder selection, while the main Czech project agreement and the separately reported design and equipment contracts remain distinct from the talks that failed.
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Sources and context
- KHNP ends talks with consortium on Czech nuclear plant construction contractYonhap News Agency
- Korea's KHNP Fails to Reach Construction Deal on $18 Billion Czech Nuclear ProjectSeoul Economic Daily
- KHNP ends Dukovany builder talks, seeks new contractor for Czech projectChosunBiz
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.