The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) announced that it has selected CES Co. as a contractor for the system design and manufacturing of the ITER Storage and Delivery System (SDS), one of Korea’s procurement contributions to ITER construction.
The contract signing ceremony was held at the KFE headquarters on May 14.
SDS is a key subsystem of the ITER fuel cycle system. It is responsible for the safe storage and supply of tritium and deuterium which will be used as fuel for ITER.
The system also performs fuel accountancy, inventory measurement, and other fuel management functions.
The contract marks a major step toward the full-scale implementation of the SDS procurement arrangement signed between the KFE and the ITER Organization in March of 2025.
Under the arrangement, Korea is responsible for the final design, manufacturing, testing, and delivery of the SDS.
With this contract, KFE and Korean industry will begin preparations for the full-scale design and manufacturing of the system.
The SDS is a critical facility for ensuring the safety and reliability of the fusion fuel cycle, particularly in relation to tritium handling.
The technologies associated with the system are also closely linked to the development of fuel storage and delivery technologies required for fusion demonstration and commercial power plants.
The contract is therefore significant not only in fulfilling Korea’s ITER procurement responsibilities, but also enabling Korea to build design and manufacturing experience in fusion fuel management in cooperation with domestic industries.
CES was selected through an open bidding process and technical evaluation.
Given the technical complexity of the SDS and its role in tritium handling, the KFE comprehensively evaluated CES’s process design and manufacturing capabilities, quality assurance competencies, and experience in plant engineering.
The contract period is approximately 60 months, with the final design approval targeted for 2027 and completion of SDS procurement scheduled for 2030.
“This contract marks the beginning of the full-scale implementation phase for Korea’s procurement of key ITER fuel cycle systems,” said Jung Ki-jung, head of the ITER Korea “In cooperation with domestic industries, we will make every effort to meet ITER’s stringent safety and quality requirements while securing core technologies for the fusion fuel cycle.”
Cooperation for Design of Korean-Style Fusion Reactor
The KFE announced that it signed a mutual cooperation agreement on June 10 on the development of core technologies for a Korean-style innovative fusion reactor to accelerate the realization of fusion energy with Hyundai Engineering at its headquarters in Daejeon.
The agreement was pursued to lay the foundation for cooperation between research institutions and industry to secure relevant technologies in the design and construction of a Korean-style innovative fusion reactor.
At the signing ceremony, Yang Hyung-yeol, head of the Innovative Fusion Reactor Design Group at KFE and Lee Seung-won, head of the Energy Business Division at Hyundai Engineering inked the agreement and exchanged views on the direction of cooperation between the two organizations.
Under the agreement, the two organizations will cooperate on design and construction technologies for Korean-style innovative fusion reactors, technologies related to site evaluation and radiation licensing for fusion reactors, and other areas of mutual interest agreed upon by both organizations.
The government’s K-Moon Shot Project presents the development of a Korean-style small fusion demonstration reactor and a demonstration of power generation as one of the national missions in the future energy sector.
This agreement aligns with the national direction of establishing the design foundation for a Korean-style demonstration fusion reactor.
Hyundai Engineering possesses accumulated experience and capabilities in the plant and engineering fields.
Through the agreement, the KFE expects to expand its capability foundation for cooperation with the industry in the field of foundational technologies such as fusion reactor design and construction technologies, site evaluation, and radiation licensing.
_한국핵융합에너지연구원 ITR.JPG)
