Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) President Cho Suk, concurrently chairman of the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (KAIF).

Some 600 foreign and Korean experts on atomic power are assembling at COEX InterContinental Hotel in Seoul from April 28 to April 29 for the 30th Korea Atomic Power Annual Conference where they will discuss issues on public outreach and atomic power.

The annual conference is hosted by the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (KAIF) under the theme of “Toward Another 30 Years: Atoms for People” to celebrate KAIF’s 30th anniversary. The foreign experts come from eight countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and China. 

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) President Cho Suk, who is concurrently KAIF chairman, will deliver a speech at the opening session of the annual conference in which he will look at the past, present and future of the Korean atomic power industry. The session will also coincide with a ceremony to present Nuclear Technology Awards. 

Looking back at the chronology of the Korean nuclear power industry, KHNP President Cho said, “Thanks to strenuous R&D, technology sufficiency and accumulated operation expertise and experiences, Korea has 23 nuclear power units in operation to rise to fifth nuclear power country in the world.” 

The energy master plan, announced by the Korean government, calls for raising the portion of nuclear power to 29 percent by 2035, and to this end, Korea will have to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power units while constructing new units without any problems, Cho said. He said Korea will have to redouble efforts to explore foreign markets and Korean nuclear power needs to make concerted efforts to export more following the feats — exporting four nuclear power units to the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and a research nuclear reactor to Jordan recently. President Cho said KHNP will reinforce awareness on safety and public outreach toward nuclear power by learning lessons from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. 

On April 28, the first day of the conference, six invited speakers will give lectures. Former Korean minister of science and technology Chung Keun-mo will speak on the theme of “Toward Another 30 Years: Atoms for People.” 

Reza Moridi, minister of research and innovation in Ontario, Canada, will touch on public understanding of Canada’s continued operation of nuclear power units. “Now that the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement has come into effect, we look forward to new opportunities across a range of sectors, including energy. Ontario and Korea share a number of energy priorities, among them nuclear power, grid modernization, conservation and renewable,” he said in his speech excerpts. 

Vaclav Paces, Chairman of the Committee on Energy of Czech, will speak on the future of Czech atomic power industry, while Daniel S. Lipman, Daniel S. LIPMAN, Vice Chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the United States, will give lectures on the current status and prospects of the U.S. nuclear power industry. 

Malcolm Grimston, Senior Research Fellow of the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College, UK, will touch on public acceptance issues toward U.K. atomic power, while Frederic Journes — Director of the Strategy and International Affairs, France Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) / Governor for France to the IAEA — will speak for the current status and prospects of the French atomic power industry. The session will serve as an opportunity for Korea to have insight into solutions to the problems facing the Korean atomic power industry by taking its cue from foreign practices presented by speakers. 

Sources: IAEA, full-cycle greenhouse gas emission factor

 The 30th Korea Atomic Power Annual Conference will take place at COEX InterContinental Hotel in Seoul from April 28 to April 2.

Speakers and panelists on Plenary Session I will speak on the theme “Public Outreach: Gateway to Restarting the Atomic Engines, to be chaired by Prof. Suh Kyun-ryul of Seoul National University Nuclear Power Department. Other speakers are Kim Myung-ja, Chair of the Center for Women in Science, Eng & Tech / Former Minister of Environment, ROK; Ge Zhengfa, Vice President, China National Nuclear Corporation Liaoning Nuclear Power Plant, China; Tetsunari Iida, Director, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Japan; Mimi Limbach, President, Pacific Nuclear Council / Managing Partner, Potomac Communications Group, USA; John Barrett, President & CEO, Canadian Nuclear Association, Canada (CNA), Tomas Kaberger, Professor, Industrial Energy Policy, Energy & Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; Malcolm Grimston, Senior Research Fellow Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College, the Unite Kingdom (UK); Song Myoung-jae, Korean Radioactive Waste Society/ Former President, Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD), Yun Sun-jin, Professor, Dep’t of Environmental Planning, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University (SNU); Rena LEE, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, School Medicine, Ewha Woman University; Choi Ye-yong, Director, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement; and Mok Jin-hyu, Professor, Public Policy Major, School of Social Sciences, Kookmin University. 

Speakers on Plenary Session II in the morning of April 29 will touch on the theme “The Challenge for Sustainable Development of Nuclear Power,” to be chaired by Prof. Chung Beom-jin of Kyunghee University Nuclear Power Department. Other speakers include Lee Jong-ho, Vice President, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP); Fred Dermarkar, President and CEO, the Candu Owners Group (COG); Kathryn McCarthy, Director, Domestic Programs for Nuclear Science and Technology at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) / Director, the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Technical Integration Office for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), USA; Ron Oberth, President, Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCI), Canada; and Massoud Tafazzoli, License Renewal Services (LR/SLR), Plant Life Extension, AREVA, France.

Speakers at Plenary Session III in the afternoon of April 29 will talk on the theme “Nuclear Energy for the Future,” to be chaired by Han Do-hee of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. Speakers include Parl Won-suk, Director, SFR Development Agency, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), ROK: Kazuaki Matsui, Executive Director, Institute of Applied Energy, Japan; Francesco Venneri, CEO, Ultra Safe Nuclear Ltd. USA; Ha Jae-ju, Director, Nuclear Development Division, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) Kim Ji-hwan, Senior Director, Green Technology Center; and Jeff Taylor, Westinghouse, USA. 

The 2015 Nuclear Industry Exhibition will be held at Diamond Hall, B1, from April 28 to April 29 to coincide with the Annual Conference. Exhibitors include Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), Koreas Radioactive Waste Agency, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, KEPCO E&C, KEPCO KPS, KEPCO NF, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Westinghouse, AREVA, and TUV SUD KOCEN. 

Six Canadian nuclear power companies will jointly set up the Canadian Nuclear Pavilion.