South Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang, left, holds an agreement on a nuclear project with Poland’s Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin in Seoul, Monday. Photo courtesy of MOTIE

Two countries agreed to build a nuclear plant in Patnow

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced Monday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Poland to build a nuclear plant in the European country.

Under the agreement, the two governments plan to support the construction process of a nuclear plant using Korea’s APR 1400 reactors in Patnow, central Poland.

Toward that end, the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed a letter of intent with Polish energy group ZE PAK and state-backed power firm PGE.

The three outfits are scheduled to come up with a preliminary development plan for the nuclear construction later this year, according to the MOTIE.

“Poland is in need of a low-cost and stable source of energy, all the more essential considering the current situation and geopolitical conditions,” Poland’s Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin said.

“It is a good opportunity for Poland to learn some of Korea’s knowledge and experience.”

MOTIE Minister Lee Chang-yang said that the project was an achievement enabled by the Korean government’s policies and push for nuclear reactor exports.

The Seoul administration strives to export 10 nuclear power plants by 2030.

Last week, Westinghouse Electric Company of the United States defeated KHNP to win a deal for the first nuclear project in Poland. But the agreement signed Monday was for the second plant.

“This marks the second major exploit of the Korean nuclear industry after the 2009 contract with the United Arab Emirates,” Korea Atomic Industrial Forum Vice Chairman Kang Jae-yuel said.

Korea inked a $20 billion contract to build four nuclear reactors in Barakah, some 170 miles west of Abu Dhabi. It was the country’s first export of a homegrown commercial atomic power plant based on APR-1400 technology.

One obstacle is last month’s litigation of Westinghouse, which sued in U.S. federal court to block a potential deal for KHNP to sell reactors to Poland.

Westinghouse claims that KHNP’s reactor design includes its intellectual property, of which export is subject to its permission.
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