KHNP partners with Canadian firms to pursue SMR nuclear project

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power CEO Whang Joo-ho, right, poses with NB Power CEO Lori Clark, center, and ARC Clean Technology CEO and President Bill Labbe after signing a partnership for a new small modular reactor construction project in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Courtesy of Korea Hydro Nuclear Power

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has formed a new partnership with Canada's small modular reactor (SMR) developer ARC Clean Technology and the country's state-run utility company NB Power to pursue a new SMR construction project in eastern Canada, according to the nuclear reactor operator, Wednesday.

KHNP, however, declined to release the location and time of the signing due to the project's confidentiality.

The carbon-free nuclear technology of SMRs is considered a new growth engine for the world's energy industry as it can better sustain power generation for smaller cities than large conventional power plants.

The three companies expect the new project at Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station in the Atlantic Canadian province of New Brunswick to be a critical starting point for developing the technology and commercializing it in the future. They have agreed to jointly work on planning, construction, project management, operation, maintenance and repairs of ARC Clean Technology's new SMR.

In 2018, ARC Clean Technology and NB Power started developing the ARC-100, which can produce 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to support 75,000 households, according to the Canadian company. Each SMR can produce up to 300 MW, while its larger predecessor is capable of generating 700 MW or higher.

The ARC-100's key features include the use of sodium instead of water as a coolant, allowing the reactor to operate at lower pressures in order to improve the efficiency and safety of the system. It can consume its own recycled spent fuel, limiting the amount of fuel waste. Its less-than-a-city-block size and modularized components allow it to be shipped and installed using regular commercial equipment, while it can operate for 20-plus years without refueling.

ARC's President and CEO Bill Labbe said its partnership with KHNP, together with its years-long connection with NB Power, will help the ARC-100 gain international recognition. NB Power CEO Lori Clark said the new partnership will help phase out coal power by 2030 and eliminate Canada's carbon emissions by 2035 by using SMRs.

"This is a critical step to proceed with our future SMR development phase," KHNP CEO Whang Joo-ho said. "I expect our 40-year-long know-how in project management, operations and maintenance of nuclear reactor construction and operation will help our new partnership with the Canadian firms."