Kong Young-gon, third from left, head of the hydrogen and smart business department at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), poses with Jan Sicha, fourth from left, CEZ’s director of innovation, after signing a memorandum of understanding for a clean hydrogen partnership in Prague, the Czech Republic, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of KHNP
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is moving to extend its footprint in Europe’s hydrogen market, partnering with Czech energy group CEZ to cooperate on clean hydrogen projects and technology development.
KHNP announced Wednesday the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a clean hydrogen partnership in Prague, the Czech Republic, deepening their current nuclear ties for the Dukovany nuclear power project.
The agreement aims to leverage both sides’ nuclear power expertise and hydrogen technologies to jointly pursue new opportunities in Europe’s clean hydrogen market and contribute to global carbon neutrality efforts.
“This MOU marks a meaningful milestone in expanding KHNP’s nuclear-based clean hydrogen business into the European market,” said Kong Young-gon, the head of KHNP’s hydrogen and smart business department. “KHNP will combine its technical and business capabilities to build a sustainable hydrogen ecosystem together with the Czech Republic.”
Under the agreement, the two companies will collaborate on low-carbon and renewable hydrogen production, fuel-cell power generation and electrofuel production, as well as developing hydrogen technologies spanning storage, transport, end‑use applications and safety.
The partnership also covers exchanges of information on policy, regulation, technology and market trends related to the hydrogen sector.
The companies also plan to explore pilot projects and the commercialization of clean hydrogen using stable nuclear-generated power in the Czech Republic.
CEZ, the country’s largest energy company, operates four nuclear reactors in Dukovany and two in Temelin, supplying about 70 percent of the country’s electricity. The company is currently carrying out a project to build two new plants in Dukovany with KHNP serving as the main contractor.
