Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun (left), poses for a photo with Kong Young-gon (2nd from left), a senior official from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power; Ales Doucek (2nd from right, the head of the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform; and Czech Industry Minister Jozef Sikela in Prague on Friday, in this photo released by KHNP. (Yonhap)

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said Monday it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a Czech hydrogen association to seek cooperation for clean hydrogen.

The agreement, inked with the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP) in Prague last week, will focus on exchanging information and seeking cooperation in the European market for clean hydrogen, according to KHNP.

Under the agreement, the two institutions aim to collaborate in the production of clean hydrogen using surplus energy from nuclear power plants, as well as in other areas of the hydrogen industry.

KHNP has been making efforts to develop the so-called pink hydrogen technology, which aims to generate hydrogen by utilizing electricity and steam from nuclear power plants.

"The agreement will help South Korea gain global competitiveness in the clean hydrogen industry," Kong Young-gon, a senior KHNP official, said, noting that the company will make efforts to achieve success in the European market through its partnership with HYTEP.

The MOU follows the efforts of a South Korean consortium, led by KHNP, to finalize a contract for the construction of two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic, after being selected as the preferred bidder in July. (Yonhap)