South Korean Nuclear Operator Seeks New Builder for Czech Dukovany Reactors After Talks Fail

South Korea's state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) said on Thursday, October 29, that it had ended negotiations with a Daewoo Engineering & Construction and Doosan Enerbility consortium over construction work for the Dukovany nuclear power project in the Czech Republic.

The decision concerns the selection of a construction contractor, not the cancellation of the main nuclear-power agreement between KHNP and its Czech customer. KHNP said it was preparing to seek a replacement builder after discussions failed to resolve key contract terms.

According to reporting by Aju Press and Korea JoongAng Daily, the two sides had pursued working-level negotiations, dispute-mediation procedures and senior-management talks but did not reach a final agreement. KHNP said it had begun the process of ending its cooperation arrangement with the consortium and would prepare a new tender.

The project involves two APR1000 reactors, each designed for 1,000 megawatts of generating capacity, at the Dukovany site. KHNP signed the main contract with Elektrárna Dukovany II, a subsidiary of Czech energy company CEZ, in June 2025. Korean reporting values the overall project at roughly 400 billion Czech koruna, or approximately US$18 billion, although currency conversions and reported contract valuations vary.

The contract breakdown introduces a new procurement step into one of South Korea's largest overseas nuclear projects. KHNP has said it will undertake essential work itself until a replacement is appointed and coordinate with its Czech customer, the South Korean government and existing partners to limit disruption.

Other parts of the project remain separate from the failed construction negotiations. Reporting indicates that design and major-equipment agreements with other Korean suppliers have already been signed, while additional contracts are being pursued for fuel, commissioning and maintenance.

The first new Dukovany reactor is scheduled for completion in 2036. That remains a target, not a guaranteed outcome. Neither the timing of a replacement contractor's selection nor the final financial consequences of the failed negotiations had been established in the reports available on October 29.

The change illustrates the execution risks that can arise between winning an international infrastructure project and finalizing the individual construction and supply contracts needed to deliver it.