Prague: A Czech court on Tuesday temporarily blocked the government in Prague from signing a multibillion-dollar agreement with South Korea for the construction of two nuclear reactors, according to multiple reports, making it highly unlikely that an official contract will be concluded this week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean consortium led by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) had been expected to finalize the deal on Wednesday with Czech state-run energy company Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II), a subsidiary of the country's main electricity firm, CEZ. However, the regional court in Brno issued an injunction preventing CEZ from signing the estimated 26 trillion-won (US$18.6 billion) contract until it reviews a legal complaint filed by France's EDF, a losing bidder in the tender.
The deal could have marked South Korea's first overseas nuclear power plant contract since 2009, when KHNP secured the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant project in the United Arab Emirates. KHNP said it is currently in discussions with the project's ordering party regarding the court's decision.