Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju (center), along with Cho Seung-il (left), executive director of Daewoo E&C's plant division, and Sudop Praha CEO Martin Chrastil (right), pose for a photo during the signing event in the Plzen Industrial Complex, Czech Republic, Friday. (Daewoo E&C)

South Korean builder Daewoo Engineering & Construction said Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Czech infrastructure company Sudop Praha as part of efforts to strengthen its partnership with local firms in constructing nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic.

According to Daewoo E&C, the signing ceremony took place during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Doosan Skoda Power -- the Czech subsidiary of Doosan Enerbility, specializing in power generation turbines -- located in the Plzen Industrial Complex, Czech Republic, on Friday. Yoon also attended the signing of an agreement between South Korea and the Czech Republic for comprehensive cooperation across all phases of the nuclear power lifecycle, including plant construction, technology development and workforce training.

Key Korean figures at the event included Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power CEO Whang Joo-ho, Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju and Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won. Czech attendees included Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Sikela and CEO of CEZ Group, the country's leading energy firm, Daniel Benes.

In July, a Korean consortium of six companies -- including Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Doosan Enerbility, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, and affiliates of the state-owned Korea Electric Power Corp. -- won the bid to construct nuclear plants in Dukovany, Czech Republic. If the final contract is signed in March 2025, Daewoo E&C will be responsible for the construction.

Sudop Praha, which has been involved in the construction of the Dukovany nuclear power plants, specializes in civil engineering, structural work and transport infrastructure for nuclear projects. The agreement outlines cooperation between the two companies for the new nuclear plant in the Czech Republic and future projects in neighboring countries, Daewoo E&C said.

“We look forward to working closely with local companies to secure the final contract for the new Czech nuclear project,” stated a Daewoo E&C official. “Daewoo E&C is fully committed to expanding its role in overseas nuclear projects, in line with the government’s strategy to promote nuclear energy as a key export industry.”

By Hwang Joo-young (flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)