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France 24
06-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
EDF complaint blocks Czech-Korean nuclear deal
KHNP won the contract last July after beating EDF in the tender, but the French giant filed an appeal with the Czech antitrust watchdog UOHS. When the UOHS rejected the appeal last week, EDF filed a lawsuit. The regional court in the second Czech city of Brno said it had "issued a pre-emptive ruling banning the signature" originally scheduled for Wednesday. It added that if the deal were signed, EDF would lose a chance to compete for the contract for good even if the court ruled in its favour later on. The deal cannot be signed until the court passes a verdict on the case. KHNP is due to build the two units at the southern Czech nuclear plant of Dukovany run by the state-run CEZ group. The Czech Republic, an EU member of 10.9 million people, relies on nuclear power -- produced by Dukovany and the Temelin plant also in the south -- for 40 percent of its electricity consumption. With the two new units and small modular reactors due to be built by 2050, the share of nuclear energy is expected to rise to 50 percent as the country shifts from burning fossil fuels. EDF hailed the postponement, saying it "provides the necessary time for a thorough assessment of any potential infringement of its rights". It also told AFP it was ready for "all legal actions". EDF said earlier its appeal was designed to make sure the selection process was fair and transparent. It also insists it can offer 60 percent of the value of the contract to Czech companies, while the share offered by KHNP is lower. The Czech news agency CTK quoted KHNP as saying it acknowledged the postponement but was sure the tender was correct, and that it was ready to go to court too. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after the tender that KHNP's bid was "better in all criteria assessed". CEZ insisted on Tuesday that the tender was "fully transparent in all phases" and called on EDF to make its bid public to "rule out any doubt" that KHNP's bid was better. The UOHS also earlier rejected an appeal by US-based Westinghouse, eliminated from the tender in January 2024 over flaws in its bid. KHNP has offered to build the two new units for around 200 billion Czech koruna ($9 billion) each. Prague expected to finalise the deal with KHNP by March this year, but the EDF appeal delayed the process. CEZ expects construction to begin in 2029 and the first new reactor launched in trial operation in 2036.
Korea Herald
06-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Czech court blocks Czech-Korean nuclear deal
A Czech court said Tuesday it blocked a multi-billion-dollar deal between Prague and South Korea's Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power on the construction of two nuclear units following a complaint by France's Electricite de France (EDF). KHNP won the contract last summer after beating EDF in the tender, but the French giant filed an appeal with the Czech antitrust watchdog Office for the Protection of Competition (UOHS). When the UOHS rejected the appeal last week, EDF filed a lawsuit. The regional court in the second Czech city of Brno said it had "issued a preemptive ruling banning the signature" originally scheduled for Wednesday. It added that if the deal were signed, EDF would lose a chance to compete for the contract for good even if the court ruled in its favor later on. The tender concerns the southern Czech nuclear plant of Dukovany run by the state-run CEZ group. The Czech Republic, an European Union member of 10.9 million people, relies on nuclear power -- produced by Dukovany and the Temelin plant also in the south -- for 40 percent of its electricity consumption. With the two new units and small modular reactors due to be built by 2050, the share of nuclear energy is expected to rise to 50 percent as the country shifts from burning fossil fuels to greener technologies. EDF said it protested against the tender because it wanted to make sure the selection process was fair and transparent. EDF also insists it can offer 60 percent of the value of the contract to Czech companies, while the share offered by KHNP is lower. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after the tender that KHNP's bid was "better in all criteria assessed." CEZ insisted on Tuesday that the tender was "fully transparent in all phases" and called on EDF to make its bid public to "rule out any doubt" that KHNP's bid was better. The UOHS also earlier rejected an appeal by US-based Westinghouse, eliminated from the tender in January 2024 over flaws in its bid. KHNP has offered to build the two new units for around 200 billion Czech koruna ($9 billion) each. Prague expected to finalize the deal with KHNP by March 2025, but the EDF appeal delayed the process. CEZ expects construction to begin in 2029 and the first new reactor launched in trial operation in 2036. (AFP)
CNA
06-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Czech court halts nuclear plant signing with KHNP after last-minute appeal
PRAGUE: A Czech court has blocked a subsidiary of the country's main electricity firm CEZ from signing an at least US$18 billion contract with South Korea's KHNP to build a new nuclear power plant until it handles a complaint filed by the losing bidder EDF of France, the court said on Tuesday (May 6). EDF filed a complaint against the Czech competition regulator UOHS last week when it rejected its appeals over a tender to pick a supplier of two nuclear reactors. The Czech government, which has a majority stake in CEZ, had scheduled a contract signing with KHNP for Wednesday. "If the contract were concluded, the French bidder would inadvertently lose the possibility to win the public contract, even if the court rules in its favour in litigation," the Brno Regional Court said in a statement. The decision can be appealed at the Supreme Administrative Court, it said. Last year, CEZ picked KHNP to build two 1,000-megawatt units to expand its Dukovany nuclear power plant. Last week, the government agreed to take an 80 per cent stake in CEZ subsidiary EDU II which was set up to build the new units, to alleviate the financial burden on CEZ. UOHS said it stood by its decisions which threw out EDF's complaint against the tender. "This is a procedural decision. It does not indicate how the court will rule in the merit of the case," an UOHS spokesperson told Reuters. "We believe our decisions were correct." CEZ said earlier on Tuesday it insisted the tender ran under fair conditions, KHNP's offer was more favourable than EDF's, and it would seek damages if courts rule in favour of its selection.
Reuters
06-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Czech court halts nuclear plant signing with KHNP after last-minute appeal
PRAGUE, May 6 (Reuters) - A Czech court has blocked a subsidiary of the country's main electricity firm CEZ ( opens new tab from signing an at least $18 billion contract with South Korea's KHNP to build a new nuclear power plant until it handles a complaint filed by the losing bidder EDF of France, the court said on Tuesday. EDF filed a complaint against the Czech competition regulator UOHS last week when it rejected its appeals over a tender to pick a supplier of two nuclear reactors. The Czech government, which has a majority stake in CEZ, had scheduled a contract signing with KHNP for Wednesday. here. "If the contract were concluded, the French bidder would inadvertently lose the possibility to win the public contract, even if the court rules in its favour in litigation," the Brno Regional Court said in a statement. The decision can be appealed at the Supreme Administrative Court, it said. Last year, CEZ picked KHNP to build two 1,000-megawatt units to expand its Dukovany nuclear power plant. Last week, the government agreed to take an 80% stake in CEZ subsidiary EDU II which was set up to build the new units, to alleviate the financial burden on CEZ. UOHS said it stood by its decisions which threw out EDF's complaint against the tender. "This is a procedural decision. It does not indicate how the court will rule in the merit of the case," an UOHS spokesperson told Reuters. "We believe our decisions were correct." CEZ said earlier on Tuesday it insisted the tender ran under fair conditions, KHNP's offer was more favourable than EDF's, and it would seek damages if courts rule in favour of its selection.
