CGN boosts cooperation with Czech firms
China General Nuclear (CGN) announced today that it has signed memoranda of understanding with Czech engineering companies to cooperate in nuclear energy.
CGN said that it signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday with the Czech Energy Alliance defining the scope of future cooperation in nuclear energy. The signing of the MOU was witnessed by Chinese president Xi Jinping and Czech president Miloš Zeman during a visit to the Czech Republic by the Chinese leader.
Through this MOU, CGN and the Czech Energy Alliance will cooperate on information on nuclear power plant procurement, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance, repair and renovation of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, the training of nuclear power plant workers and cooperating in European Utility Requirements (EUR) certification. They will also explore potential opportunities for joint investment in nuclear power projects in third countries.
The Czech Energy Alliance was created in September 2015 and brings together, under the leadership of CEZ subsidiary Skoda Praha, 13 other leading Czech engineering companies: Alta, Doosan Ltd, Elektro Kroměříž, IBC Praha, Kralovopolska RIA, Modrany Power, MSA, Sigma Group, Skoda JS, OSC, Skoda Power, Vítkovice, ZAT and ZVVZ Group. One of the aims of the Alliance is to partner with large foreign firms in supplies for the construction of nuclear power plants.
The previous day, CGN organized a roundtable meeting with the Czech Energy Alliance, Skoda Praha, as well as China Huaxin Energy Limited, to discuss cooperation in nuclear energy. During the meeting an MOU on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy was signed. Through this MOU, the partners will cooperate in sharing information on investing, constructing and operating nuclear power plants, technical certification, supply chain support, modernizing plants as well as cooperating in third-party markets.
In addition, CGN also signed a contract with Skoda Praha for consultancy on EUR certification of its Hualong One reactor design. The Chinese company formally applied to EUR in May 2015 for certification of the design. The EUR officially confirmed acceptance of the application in September. Under the contract with CGN, Skoda Praha will review the application material.
CGN chairman He Yu said, "We hope to strengthen cooperation with outstanding Czech enterprises to jointly promote China's own intellectual property rights for the Hualong One third generation nuclear power technology. At the same time, we attach great importance to the construction of nuclear power projects and supply chain localization, and hope on this basis to develop a third country nuclear power market and strive to improve both high-level, international strategic cooperation and achieve a win-win strategy."
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
