EDF and Westinghouse have appealed decision to award contract to South Korea
The Czech anti-monopoly office UOHS has put a temporary hold on the conclusion of a contract with South Korea’s state-owned Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) for the construction of two new nuclear power plants following challenges by Westinghouse and EDF.
UOHS said that the preliminary measure to prohibit the conclusion of the contract for new reactors at the existing Dukovany nuclear site was not indicative of how the case will be decided and was standard procedure in such a case.
The measure comes after the office started official proceedings work in September following appeals from US-based Westinghouse and France’s EDF against the country’s choice in July of KHNP as preferred bidder to build new nuclear reactors.
The Czech government and majority state-owned utility ČEZ have said they aim to conclude negotiations with KHNP and sign contracts by next March. The first reactor at the site could be online by 2036.
ČEZ said it believed the preliminary measure would not impact the tender's schedule. “The company is convinced it acted in accordance with the applicable laws from the first moment in the selection of the preferred bidder,” it said.
UOHS had said earlier that the complaint by EDF demanded that UOHS cancels decisions by a unit of the 70% state-owned ČEZ on evaluating bids.
The complaint by US-based Westinghouse focused on the use of a national security exception that suspended public procurement rules, it said. Westinghouse also appealed a decision not to be invited into the second round of the tender.
EDF has also filed a complaint with the European Union competition regulator over the decision to pick KHNP.
EDF said it wants to ensure that KHNP’s offer to ČEZ “respects fundamental European principles, laws and regulations”.
