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Photo= Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Prague/Seoul, June 4 — The Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic has overturned a previous court order that blocked Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) from signing a final contract for the construction of a new nuclear power unit in Dukovany.
According to Czech news agency CTK, the court ruled that the lower court failed to consider the broader public interest, which should have taken precedence over the interests of the complainant, Électricité de France (EDF).
The injunction, granted by the Brno Regional Court just one day before the scheduled contract signing on May 7, temporarily barred KHNP and the Czech utility ČEZ's subsidiary EDU II from proceeding with the deal.
KHNP and ČEZ appealed, arguing that the injunction was granted without hearing all parties and posed a serious threat to the project timeline for the Dukovany nuclear expansion.
With the injunction lifted, there are no legal barriers remaining to finalize the contract. The Czech government had previously pre-approved the signing, pending the court's decision.
The first hearing of the main lawsuit at the Brno court is scheduled for June 25.
Meanwhile, EDF, which lost the bid, has also filed a complaint with the European Union, alleging KHNP violated the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). The EU is currently reviewing whether to launch a formal investigation.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
