Conferences for Emerging Markets and Technologies

The Fallout in Poland: What the KHNP-Westinghouse Dispute Signals for Asia

Intellectual property disputes highlight geopolitical risks for nuclear partnerships

4 months ago 1 min read

KHNP executives signing a letter of intent with Polish private energy group ZE PAK and Poland’s state-owned power company PGE in October 2022.

Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power signed a letter of intent with Polish private energy group ZE PAK and Poland’s state-owned power company PGE in October 2022, planning to build four 1400-MW nuclear reactors using South Korean technology. On August 19, 2025, KHNP President Whang Joo-ho told South Korean lawmakers the company was withdrawing from the Patnow project, driven by changes in Warsaw’s energy policy and following a settlement earlier this year with Westinghouse over an intellectual property dispute.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has formally withdrawn from its planned nuclear project in Poland following a settlement with U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Company. The confidential agreement, signed in January, resolved a dispute over intellectual property rights but came with significant restrictions. According to reports, KHNP is now prohibited from bidding on new nuclear projects in North America, most of the European Union, the U.K., Japan, and Ukraine.

KHNP President Whang Joo-ho confirmed the withdrawal, marking a turning point for how companies and governments approach nuclear project development. The episode illustrates how legal and geopolitical factors can derail large-scale energy initiatives, even when financing and technology are in place.

For Asian governments and investors, the lesson is clear: nuclear energy investment in Asia requires not only capital and technical expertise but also legally defensible frameworks to withstand international disputes. The Poland case will be closely watched by policymakers in Manila and beyond as they assess the risks of cross-border collaboration.