Czech body halts nuclear deal after EDF, Westinghouse cry foul
KHNP's victory in a tender to build two nuclear units in the Czech Republic was contested by two failed bidders, France's EDF and the US's Westinghouse.
KHNP beat EDF to win the tender in July, after Westinghouse's bid was ruled out over flaws in January, with both groups appealing the result the following month.
"We have complied with EDF's and Westinghouse's proposals and issued preemptive decisions," Czech competition office (UOHS) spokesman Martin Svanda told AFP.
He added the move would give the UOHS time to assess the appeals, and that it does not "suggest in any way how the office will decide in the matter".
The UOHS would not be able to decide once the contract has been signed, said Svanda.
Westinghouse has accused KHNP of using its technology without authorisation in its APR1000 and APR1400 reactors.
Visiting Prague in September, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol suggested KHNP might hand a part of the deal to Westinghouse, as it did in the United Arab Emirates in the past.
EDF said earlier it was seeking "to ensure that the tender process adheres to the principles of fair trade and transparency, notably in a European context."
The Czech state-controlled power group CEZ runs two nuclear plants -- Temelin and Dukovany, both in the south of the country -- which make up around 30 percent of total Czech electricity output.
With the two new units and small modular reactors due to be built by 2050, nuclear energy is expected to account for 50 percent of the Czech energy mix as the EU member of 10.9 million people is shifting from burning fossil fuels to greener technologies.
KHNP has offered to build the two new units for around 200 billion Czech koruna ($8.5 billion) each.
Prague expects to finalise the deal with KHNP by March 2025, with construction to begin in 2029 and the first new reactor launched in trial operation in 2036.
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