Daewoo E&C bolsters Korea's export push with Czech deal
Daewoo Engineering & Construction has been tapped as lead builder for two new reactor units at the Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic, marking a milestone in Korea's push to export its nuclear expertise.
The project is part of “Team Korea” — a consortium led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power alongside Kepco Engineering & Construction, Kepco Nuclear Fuel, Kepco Plant Service & Engineering and Doosan Enerbility — which clinched an equipment supply deal with Czech utility CEZ in June.
Daewoo will oversee construction work and has already forged links with about 600 Czech firms. It has also carried out community outreach in the Dukovany region, from donating fire trucks to supporting local initiatives, to bolster ties with residents.
Daewoo is the only Korean builder with experience across the full nuclear cycle, spanning design, construction, maintenance, decommissioning and spent fuel storage. Over the past 35 years, it has delivered more than 30 nuclear projects at home and abroad, including major reactors, radioactive waste sites and research facilities.
Its expansion into nuclear began in 1991 with work on Korea’s Wolsong 3 and 4 units, later expanding to Shin-Wolsong 1 and 2 and waste disposal projects in Gyeongju. Overseas, it has provided consulting for Taiwan’s Lungmen plant and China’s Qinshan facility.
In 2009, Daewoo became the first Korean company to export a nuclear reactor, winning the Jordan Research and Training Reactor contract. The 5-megawatt unit, designed for research and isotope production, was built at the Jordan University of Science and Technology, with Daewoo handling design, procurement, construction and commissioning.
The Korean builder also added extra safety systems after the Fukushima disaster and trained Jordanian operators, elevating the country’s nuclear capabilities.
Daewoo has also carved out a niche in radioactive waste management. It built Korea’s first underground facility at Wolsong and is leading the second, near-surface phase of the project, while also supplying dry storage for spent fuel used at domestic plants.
The company is now focusing on decommissioning. It is dismantling Wolsong Unit 1 — the world’s first Canadian-style heavy-water reactor to be retired. The project could enhance Korea’s standing in the global nuclear decommissioning market, valued at more than 500 trillion won ($357.8 billion).
Looking to the future, Daewoo is expanding into next-generation nuclear fields such as small modular reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. It has signed cooperation agreements with KHNP and Kepco KPS to accelerate SMR development, while also collaborating with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute on HTGR projects scheduled through 2027.
The company said the Czech project underscores the competitiveness of Korean nuclear technology and pricing on the global stage. Looking ahead, Daewoo said it plans to use the project as a springboard for further expansion in Europe, the United States, the CIS, the Middle East and Asia.
“Daewoo E&C is the only Korean builder with proven track records not just in large nuclear plants, but also in research reactors, waste disposal facilities and plant performance upgrades,” a company official said.
“We will demonstrate the excellence of our nuclear expertise on the world stage by successfully delivering the Czech project.”
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