CZECH POWER
A delegation of nine experts and representatives of Czech companies, including representatives of I&C Energo, TES Vsetín, INFER and ŠKODA JS, took part in a five-day visit to South Korea. They came to the country at the invitation of KHNP, one of the bidders for the construction of nuclear power units in the Czech Republic, and KEPCO KPS, responsible for the maintenance of Korean nuclear power plants.
During the five-day programme, the Czech representatives had the opportunity to visit the KHNP Saeul nuclear power plant located in Ulsan, the maintenance centre of KEPCO KPS and its training centre. They were able to get to know the design and operation of the Korean nuclear power plant with their own eyes and to get to know its maintenance technology.
KHNP wants to further expand its cooperation with Czech companies.
The visit was organised as part of the KHNP localisation programme launched earlier this year. Through it, the Korean company seeks to cooperate and share knowledge with existing and potential customers of Korean nuclear technology. The company’s representatives have long declared that they want to involve the Czech industry in the supply chain to the tune of 65 per cent of supplies.
In the future, KHNP plans to organize a symposium of APR1000 suppliers and strengthen the localization of the Czech project. In case of winning the tender, other forms of cooperation would then be developed, for example expanding the already ongoing registration of Czech companies in the KHNP Qualified Supplier System.
Relationships with Czech companies are a long-term priority for KHNP. Since 2016, the South Korean company has already identified over 200 potential Czech suppliers and signed more than 50 Memoranda of Understanding as a basis for future cooperation. In addition, KHNP is the only bidder counting on a Czech company to supply the turbine, which is one of the largest and most important components of the nuclear power plant. The South Korean company is thus trying to maximise the share of Czech suppliers in the project, as requested by the Czech side.