Korea reclaims nuclear powerhouse status after winning series of global deals
Cernavoda nuclear power plant in Romania / Courtesy of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
Korea is set to regain its status as a global nuclear energy powerhouse after winning a series of construction and maintainence deals for nuclear power plants abroad over the past year, according to industry analysts Friday. President Yoon Suk Yeol has pushed to rebuild and nurture the nuclear power industry as the nation's main export item after scrapping the previous Moon Jae-in administration's anti-nuclear policies.
Analysts said Korea's nuclear technology is being acknowledged internationally beyond what the majority of locals may think, largely because of its trustworthy reputation for quality and safety.
The latest achievement was the signing of a tripartite consortium agreement between Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), Canada's Candu Energy and Italia's Ansaldo Nucleare for a project in Romania, Thursday. Their aim is to participate in the future retubing and refurbishment project for the Cernavoda Unit 1 Nuclear Power Plant developed by Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN), Romania's state-owned nuclear energy company.
The project will enable Cernavoda Unit 1's license renewal. The total project cost is estimated to reach $1.85 billion. KHNP and other Korean firms participating in the project including KEPCO KPS and Doosan Enerbility will take about 40 percent of it.
"It's a sole race for our consortium with no rivals," an official from KHNP said. "We will submit our proposal in coming January when SNN is expected to request it."
The project target is a 700 megawatt-capacity CANDU-6 unit with a design lifetime of 30 years. The Cernavoda Unit 1 has been operating since 1996 and its license expires by the end of 2026. By extending the license, SNN plans to upgrade and replace the reactor's key components such as pressure tubes, turbines and generator internals from 2027 until 2029.
Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power's business export department chief Park In-sik, right, poses with Ansaldo Nucleare's Senior Vice President Giovanbattista Patalano, center, and Candu Energy's Senior Vice President Mattew Ross after signing a consortium agreement with Romania's Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica in Romania, Thursday. Courtesy of KHNP
Candu Energy is the original equipment manufacturer and steward of CANDU technology ― a Canadian pressurized heavy-water reactor design used to generate electric power ― worldwide. Ansaldo is the original designer of the Balance of Plant of Cernavoda Units 1 and 2.
In the project, KHNP, Korea's major nuclear power plant operator, will spearhead construction of infrastructure such as radioactive waste storage. Its role came after it successfully completed a retubing project for Korea's Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in 2009-11.
"With the unique strengths harnessed, the synergistic partnership will cultivate an environment for a seamless and satisfactory delivery of the project to the client’s satisfaction," said the KHNP official. “Drawing on our large-scale refurbishment project management capabilities gained from the past experiences at Kori Unit 1 and Wolsong Unit 1, we are happy to partner with Canadian and Italian companies to craft a proposal that aligns with our client’s expectations.”
KHNP's latest consortium came as it had proven the superiority of its nuclear technologies compared to other countries by retubing the Wolsong-1 reactor in the shortest period of time, said Chung Bum-jin, president of Korean Nuclear Society and nuclear engineering professor at Kyung Hee University. When KHNP retubed an aged 700 megawatt-capacity CANDU-6 unit at Wolsong, it took 27 months. Argentina retubed components of the same specifications at the Embalse plant in 37 months. The same job took Canada 46 months at the Point Lepreau plant.
"KHNP's Romanian bid shows Korean nuclear technologies that used to borrow technologies from other countries are now exporting themselves back to the world," Chung said.
KHNP previously signed a contract with JSC AtomStroyExport for the secondary construction of El Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt in August 2022. The $2.5 billion deal contracted KHNP to construct 80 buildings and structures in four El Dabaa units and supply equipment. Last June, the Korean firm also signed a $260 million deal with Romania's state-run nuclear operator to build a new tritium removal facility.
Last year the company also bidded for a new nuclear plant project in the Czech Republic and agreed with Poland to build Korea's major power plant model in Patnow.