President Kim Sung-arm of KEPCO E&C.

KEPCO E&C is an energy public entity boasting the world’s top-rated technology prowess, such as nuclear and thermal power design.

KEPCO E&C has spearheaded efforts to cope with low-carbon and green growth, the recent global energy paradigm shift and comply with the government’s Green New Deal policies.

To this end, the corporation has built a roadmap to nurture K-New Deal projects as future growth engines and stepped on the gas to achieve outcomes.

KEPCO E&C has made headway, not only in the conventional nuclear/thermal power plant design and new growth engine businesses, such as wind power and renewable energy consulting, but also the digital sector businesses corresponding to the 4th Industrial Revolution.

KEPCO E&C is also spearheading the realization of social values as a public entity by promoting shared growth and collaboration tailored to meet needs of local communities and SMEs.

KEPCO E&C was established in 1975 with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency of power plant design technology.

The corporation developed Korean standard nuclear power plant OPR1000 (Optimized Power Reactor 1000) and evolved it into APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400), the next generation nuclear power plant with souped-up safety and economic efficiency.

KEPCO E&C designed 31 nuclear power units in operation or under construction in Korea and abroad.

KEPCO E&C IS performing A/E and NSSS Design of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, UAE, for the first exportation of Korean-model nuclear power plant, and in 2018, the corporation signed long-term engineering agreements on nuclear power units in operation with Nawah Energy, the operator of the Barakah NPP.

KEPCO E&C is expected to perform tasks, such as design change/improvement, engineering program analysis and technology support necessary for the operation of Barakah nuclear power units 1 to 4 for at least 10 years following their dedication.

Shin Kori Nuclear Power Units 3 and 4, adopting APR1400, identical to the type of reactor to the Barakah NPP are now under commercial operation.

KEPCO E&C’s APR1400 was awarded with a design certification by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Aug. 26, 2019.

The design certification allows the construction and operation of APR1400 nuclear power units in the United States and the exporting of Korean-type nuclear power units there is required to obtain only additional safety standards on the characteristics of construction sites.

The certification is valid for 15 years, and it may be renewed for a maximum of 15 years.

KEPCO E&C played a pivotal role in the process of obtaining the design certification, such as NSSS Design and A/E Design and license and permission paperwork, sufficing to meet stringent U.S. regulations.

Higher design completion levels had managed to obtain the certification even though France and Japan failed to do so. Korea’s obtaining the certification is the first such case except the United States.

In November 2017, KEPCO E&C obtained the design certification on the European Utility Requirement (EUR) of the EU-APR for exporting to Europe.

Obtaining the two major certifications is expected to raise export competitiveness.

KEPCO E&C has secured the safety of facilities by performing technology scrutiny of all nuclear power units, structures and systems, design change and emergency technology support and contributed to improving to preventing trips and improving nuclear safety.

The corporation has spearheaded the performing of stress tests to determine the safety of nuclear power units to cope with extreme disasters, surpassing design standards.

In 2018, KEPCO E&C inaugurated a “nuclear follow-up management business group.” The corporation won an architectural engineering service for the decommissioning of Kori Nuclear Power Unit, Korea’s first such case.

KEPCO E&C plans to focus on the accumulating of the expertise to decommission nuclear units by successfully performing of the service to enter the foreign market.

KEPCO E&C plans to secure optimized technologies to remove greenhouse gas emissions of thermal power plants by more than 99.99 percent and improve the performance efficiency of aged power plants to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and apply them to aged power units in Korea and abroad.

A view of KEPCO E&C headquarters in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do. (Photos: KEPCO E&C)