Experts hold an inaugural meeting to establish a roadmap on nuclear power industry R&D, dubbed “Nu-Tech 2030.” (Photos: MOTIE)

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and experts from industry, academia and research circles assembled for the inaugural meeting to establish a roadmap on nuclear power industry R&D, dubbed “Nu-Tech 2030.”

The meeting took place at the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) on Dec. 6.
The Nu-Tech 2030 was one of major tasks to follow up and complement the government’s energy paradigm shift, and the MOTIE is implementing it to sustain the ecosystem of the nuclear power industry.

The Nu-Tech 2030 is designed to maintain the competitiveness of core technologies to ensure sustainable operation of nuclear power plants and nurture new and promising sectors such as decommissioning of old nuclear power plants and spent nuclear fuel management. About 50 nuclear power industry experts from industry, academia and research circles participate in discussions on the direction of nuclear power industry R&D.

Four subcommittees on safety, decommissioning, radwaste, and export & international cooperation and an overcall committee will have detailed discussions for four months before announcing outcomes next March. The safety subcommittee will touch on R&D support on core equipment and components to ensure the safety operation of nuclear power plants in a mid- and long-term period.

The decommissioning committee will discuss on the commercialization of technologies to decommission nuclear power plants ordered to halt operation permanently in a safe and economical fashion. The radwaste subcommittee will deal with the development of core technologies on safety management of radwaste, brought by the decommissioning of old nuclear power plants.

Director General Moon Shin-hak in charge of nuclear industry policy at the MOTIE said, “Nuclear power industry R&D has so far played an important role in the development of the nuclear power industry through the improving of nuclear power industry SMEs’ technology power and localizing of core equipment and components.”

The establishment of the roadmap Nu-Tech 2030 is expected to contribute greatly to ensuring of safety and operation of nuclear power plants, the competitiveness of core technologies for exporting, and sustaining the ecosystem of the nuclear power industry, he added.

Korean and international experts gesture as they attend Nuclear Decommissioning Business Forum 2018, hosted by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), at the Ramada Seoul Hotel on Dec. 7.

Nuclear Decommissioning Business Forum 2018

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) hosted the Nuclear Decommissioning Business Forum 2018 on the topic “How to build Nuclear Decommissioning Infrastructure” at the Ramada Seoul on Dec. 7.

The third rendition of such a forum attracted some 350 nuclear power industry officials. Nuclear power experts gave lectures and had discussions on topics related to the building of nuclear decommissioning infrastructure such as technology development, manpower development and the building of the nuclear decommissioning ecosystem.

Decommissioning experts from Germany, Japan, UK, France and Canada gave lectures for the first time in Korea, an opportunity to share experiences from foreign prominent institutions.

KHNP President Chung Jae-hoon said, “(KHNP) will devote itself to building nuclear decommissioning infrastructure in cooperating with government, industry, academia and research circles, reflecting on diverse views of the forum.”