KEPCO Nuclear Fuel President Jeong Sang-bong.

KEPCO Nuclear Fuel completes a facility to test the characteristics of nuclear fuel assemblies. (Photos: KNF)

On Feb. 28, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Co. announced that it has completed a facility for the evaluation of the characteristics of nuclear fuel assembly.

The Test Facility of Fuel Assembly (TOFAS) can evaluate the mechanical properties of nuclear fuel assembly by performing shock, vibration, bending and underwater tests.

The facility is used to develop and verify nuclear fuel behavior simulation models and produce materials on earthquake-resistance nuclear fuel, among others.

Tests on final nuclear fuel assembly post-design and development have been carried out by overseas organizations, but this practice has caused difficulties in the prevention of design information leaks and source technology development.

Thanks to the establishment of this test facility, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel is expected to be able to independently perform tasks and projects, from nuclear fuel development to final nuclear fuel verification, thereby enhancing its nuclear fuel design and development capabilities.

In addition, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel will develop advanced anti-earthquake analysis technology related to enhancing the earthquake-proof safety of nuclear fuel, in line with the current trend of increasing domestic and foreign requirements for anti-earthquake stability after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan.

“Our aspirations and efforts for the independent verification of nuclear fuels have led to securing TOFAS, achieving results that can create future growth engines,” CEO Jeong Sang-bong said. “I ask KEPCO Nuclear Fuel employees to make every effort to develop technology on high-performance and high-quality nuclear fuels and do your best to manage the safety of facilities at KEPCO Nuclear Fuel.”

At the 45th Korea Quality Management Convention in 2019, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel was honored as an excellent enterprise in quality competitiveness for the 19th successive year.

The event was hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.

KEPCO Nuclear Fuel has been honored as a good enterprise in quality competitiveness since 2001.

The judges highly recognized the enhancement of the enterprise-wide quality capability through the field-focused management and innovative achievement by KEPCO NF Innovative Production System (KIPS), the unique production innovation system.

In particular, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel has been implementing the enterprise-wide quality control activities by acquiring the ISO9001:2014 international quality certificate in 2018.

Furthermore, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel was qualified as an international calibration laboratory by implementing the calibration quality system applying the Framework Act on National Standards and ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.

Furthermore, the company the world-class management systems in various fields, including the ISO41001:2015 for health and safety, the K-OHSMS 18001 and the ISO27001 on information security management.

In addition, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel monitors defective ratios through process inspections, establishes plans and quality status updates per supplier, and organizes the quality assurance council with its partners.

The organization remains devoted to the implementation of cooperative relationships imparting a virtuous cycle by holding the Meeting with CEOs of Good Quality Enterprises every year.

On March 17, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel provided quarantine and antiseptic products to its sisterhood market, Songgang Traditional Market in Daejeon, to strengthen cooperation with local communities and respond to the government’s policy to rev up the local economy hurt by the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The goods delivered by KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Co. are disinfectants (two antiseptic sterilizers and disinfectant solutions) are expected to reduce the anxiety of those who visit the local traditional market and to help merchants suffering from the aftermaths of the spread of the plague.

It is expected to give. The Songgang Traditional Market Merchant Association plans to make full efforts to prevent corona19 by periodically providing self-prevention by using the donated quarantine sterilizer.