Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, is embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with Westinghouse over IP rights and export control obligations. Will this conflict stymie Western nuclear ambitions? Does this legal battle risk ceding the long-term geopolitical alliances intrinsic to nuclear exports in non-aligned countries to Russia and China? What are the motivations and likely outcomes? Phil Chaffee of Nuclear Intelligence Weekly joins me to provide context and inferences.
Interview in a nutshell
This episode explores the ongoing legal dispute between Westinghouse and South Korean nuclear vendors over intellectual property rights. The conflict threatens to delay nuclear projects globally and has major geopolitical implications.
Episode overview
Phil Chaffee, editor of Nuclear Intelligence Weekly, discusses the complex legal battle between Westinghouse and South Korean nuclear companies KHNP and KEPCO. The dispute centers on the degree to which Korean reactor designs use Westinghouse IP and require US export approvals. This conflict is impacting nuclear projects in Eastern Europe and beyond, potentially benefiting Russian and Chinese vendors. The episode explores the history of technology transfers in the nuclear industry and the high commercial and geopolitical stakes involved.
About the guest
Phil Chaffee is the editor of Nuclear Intelligence Weekly and bureau chief for Energy Intelligence's New York office. With nearly 20 years covering the nuclear industry, he brings deep expertise on global nuclear developments, from new builds to fuel cycle issues.
In Chaffee’s words
"Where this dispute is really going to have and is already having an enormous impact is in the fairly tight competition for large light water reactors."
"What Westinghouse is trying to do with these lawsuits is come to some settlement, but also effectively block Korean exports of their large reactor technologies anywhere. So it's fairly high stakes."
Deeper dive
The dispute centers on to what degree Korean APR1400 reactor exports are bound by U.S. export controls given their use of Westinghouse IP from earlier technology transfers
Westinghouse claims Korean exports require US export control approvals that only Westinghouse can apply for
Legal processes are ongoing in US courts and Korean arbitration, with rulings expected in 2025
The conflict is impacting nuclear projects in Czech Republic, Poland, and potentially Turkey and Saudi Arabia
There are concerns this could benefit Russian and Chinese vendors if Western options are limited
The dispute highlights tensions between IP protection and nuclear technology transfer/indigenization
Similar issues could arise with Chinese exports of AP1000 derivatives in the future
The legal battle is likely to delay Western nuclear projects for several years
Keywords: Nuclear exports, Westinghouse, South Korea, intellectual property, reactor technology, geopolitics. Entities named: Westinghouse; KHNP; KEPCO; Combustion Engineering; EDF; Brookfield; Bechtel
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