Westinghouse Electric Company has intensified its efforts to challenge Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power’s (KHNP) recent $18 billion nuclear power plant contract in the Czech Republic, filing a complaint with Czech antitrust authorities and accusing KHNP of misappropriating its original technology.
This move marks a significant step in Westinghouse’s bid to thwart South Korea’s nuclear ambitions while also turning the issue into an international dispute involving the U.S., the Czech Republic, and South Korea.
On Aug. 26, Westinghouse announced that it had filed a complaint with the Czech antitrust authorities to challenge the Czech Power Company’s (CEZ) decision to select KHNP as the preferred bidder for the construction of two new reactors at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant. The Czech Competition Office, which functions similarly to Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, also oversees government public procurement projects.
Westinghouse claimed that the reactor design technology used by KHNP relies on patents owned by Westinghouse. They argued that KHNP does not own the original technology and, without Westinghouse’s permission, does not have the right to allow third parties, including CEZ and local Czech companies, to use it.
This argument is similar to Westinghouse’s lawsuit from Oct. 2022 in a U.S. federal court, where they claimed that because Westinghouse technology is used in the APR1400 (a Korean nuclear reactor), Korea needs approval from both Westinghouse and the U.S. government before exporting it to countries like the Czech Republic and Poland.
In response, South Korean nuclear authorities downplayed the complaint, noting that Westinghouse is merely “reiterating its previous claims,” and opted not to engage in further rebuttals. This restraint is widely interpreted as a calculated move to avoid being drawn into Westinghouse’s aggressive tactics while negotiations with the U.S. government are ongoing.
Westinghouse argued that if the Czech Republic adopts nuclear technology from South Korea, it would not only involve the illegal use of U.S. technology but would also result in the loss of tens of thousands of clean energy jobs that could have been created in the U.S. and the Czech Republic, shifting them to Korea instead.
They emphasized that this includes 15,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, where Westinghouse’s headquarters is located. This move is seen as an attempt to sway American public opinion by raising concerns about potential job losses. Additionally, Westinghouse warned that a final decision on this matter might not be reached before the second half of 2025, which could potentially delay the final contract between KHNP and the Czech Republic, originally scheduled for March next year.
However, some observers believe that an agreement might eventually be reached, especially given that Westinghouse was eliminated early in the bidding process back in January, leaving the competition between France’s EDF (Électricité de France) and KHNP. Westinghouse likely does not want to see its traditional rival, France, win the new nuclear projects in Europe, which would increase French influence in the global nuclear market. An industry insider noted, “While Westinghouse is trying to hinder Korea’s progress, they probably don’t want France’s influence in the global nuclear market to grow either.”
