Korea, Czech Republic review Dukovany progress, press EU on nuclear supply chain

South Korea and the Czech Republic said Tuesday their Dukovany nuclear construction project is running to schedule, as Seoul pressed Prague to lobby against a draft EU law it says would unfairly restrict non-European suppliers from the bloc's nuclear market.

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek reviewed the project in a video conference held as the third meeting of the Dukovany Steering Committee, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The committee, launched in February, brings together both governments, Czech state utility EDU II and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the Korean supplier. The two sides confirmed that work so far has proceeded in line with the agreed timetable and reviewed plans to meet upcoming milestones on time, including the filing of local licensing applications in the Czech Republic. They also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries' nuclear industries in the global nuclear market.

Kim raised Seoul's concern that the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act, announced in March, is being discussed in a way that would excessively limit participation by non-EU countries in the European nuclear market. With Europe's nuclear supply chain weakening, he said, plans to build reactors in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in the bloc can only proceed smoothly with partners that have strong supply chains, such as Korea. He asked Prague to keep up its diplomatic efforts within the EU so that the act does not hamper cooperation between the two countries, which he said is expanding into a broader partnership covering advanced industries.

Kim also referred to the Czech government's review of whether to proceed with the Temelin 3 and 4 reactors, saying large reactors will be needed to support the country's advanced-industry development and that he hopes the Korean-Czech nuclear partnership continues beyond Dukovany.

"I hope the Korea-Czech nuclear partnership continues at the Temelin 3 and 4 units as well, following Dukovany," he said. "It is greatly meaningful that the continued holding of the Dukovany Steering Committee lets us share information transparently and jointly seek ways to smoothly advance and develop nuclear cooperation between the two countries."

The two ministers agreed to hold the fourth meeting of the committee in Korea before the end of the year, with a business event for the two countries' nuclear industries organized alongside it.