The Czech Republic’s majority state-owned power company ČEZ will sign a contract with South Korea’s Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) this quarter on building two new units at the Dukovany nuclear power station, finance minister Zbynek Stanjura said on Thursday.

The contract to build two South Korean APR1400 plants, expected to be worth at least $17.5bn (€15.3bn), was originally due to be signed by March. It has been subject to some uncertainty due to appeals by losing bidders EDF of France and US-based Westinghouse, along with political upheaval in South Korea and pressure by Czech firms over the level of localisation in the Czech Republic.

“I cannot tell you but I already know the date, so it is not fiction... it will certainly be in this quarter,” Stanjura told reporters.