Czech Electricity Company (CEZ) has decided to proceed with the appeal process regarding the local district court's provisional decision that prohibits Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) from signing a contract for the construction of a new nuclear power plant until the outcome of the main lawsuit.
Daniel Beneš, CEO of CEZ, said at a press conference held on the 7th in Prague (local time), "We respect the court's decision, but we will take necessary measures," adding, "We will apply to a higher court to dismiss the injunction and proceed with the project." He noted, "Given the gravity of the matter, we expect a prompt handling from the court," and stated, "I believe the Supreme Administrative Court will side with us."
CEO Beneš stated, "Based on a transparent and objective evaluation of the bids, KHNP excelled in all aspects, including price and compliance with the schedule." He further added, "It seems that Electricité de France (EDF) wants to dominate the entire European region" and suggested, "It appears that external companies are lobbying to prevent nuclear power plants from being built in Europe."
Earlier, the Czech Brno District Court made a provisional decision on the 6th to prohibit the final contract signing between KHNP and CEZ's subsidiary EDU II until the main ruling on the administrative lawsuit filed by EDF is made. Initially, Korea and the Czech Republic planned to finalize the contract by March this year, but the final contract has been continuously delayed due to intellectual property disputes involving the U.S. company Westinghouse, which lost in the bidding competition, and objections from France's EDF.
Petr Závodský, CEO of EDU II, also pointed out that EDF lacks competitiveness. CEO Závodský said, "We must respect the court's ruling, but we cannot help but question the situation where the public interest of Czechia is compromised," and demanded, "If EDF believes that its bidding conditions are excellent, they should disclose the information."
He remarked, "While EDF promised to ensure localization, they failed to disclose the list of partners, and I see that there could be delays of several months due to this," adding, "If things go wrong, there is a risk of not securing a carbon-free power source by 2036."
CEZ emphasized that it would seek damages from EDF if losses occur due to contract delays. They also noted that they are continuing all necessary procedures, including on-site geological surveys, preparation of documents for submission to the Nuclear Safety Authority for permits, and related investments.
Tomáš Plzeňský, Deputy Minister of new business division at CEZ, stated, "I cannot calculate the amount of damages, but the key is how much delay there will be," adding, "We will strive to minimize the delay and calculate the amount of damages to claim."
Meanwhile, the Czech side conveyed an apology to the Korean government delegation. CEO Beneš said, "On behalf of the Czech side, I apologize to the Korean government delegation," and noted, "While there was a possibility of the injunction being granted, it was very low, making it challenging to expect such a decision the day before."