Gyeongsangbuk-do held a ceremony to declare “Gyeongbuk Nuclear Power Renaissance” at Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO) on March 16 with Gov. Lee Cheol-woo and Uljin County Mayor Sohn Byung-bok in attendance.
Among about 200 people on hand at the event were officials from entities related to the nuclear industry, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Hydronic & Nuclear Power Co., Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI) and Daegu University.
The declaration ceremony served as an opportunity for the Gyeongsangbuk-do provincial government to reveal its vision on the nuclear power industry in accordance with the central government’s agenda to step up the ecosystem of the Korean nuclear power industry by making the most of nuclear power as a means of energy security and carbon neutrality.
During the event, participants watched videos on major nuclear power policies and shared views on Gyeongbuk’s vision on the future nuclear power industry, such as plans to build a small modular reactor (SMR) industrial complex in Gyeongju and a nuclear hydrogen industrial complex in Uljin, raising hope of realizing nuclear power renaissance.
The province is the nation’s sole region in which the whole cycle of nuclear power is made available since it accommodates 12 nuclear power units, nearly half of the nation’s total nuclear facilities, as well as all institutions responsible for design, construction, operation and radwaste.
Gyeongsangbuk-do plans to realize “Gyeongbuk Nuclear Power Renaissance” by prioritizing three axes of nuclear power: research, industry and collaboration.
The global nuclear power market is transforming itself into an SMR-based one, enabling diverse uses, such cheaper construction, hydrogen production and seawater desalination, departing from large-sized nuclear power plants.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. SMRs boast of safety, availability and high economic feasibility.
KAERI’s King Munmu the Great Research Institute, to be built in Gyeongju City is expected to be a Korean SMR technology development center through innovative nuclear R&D & verification as well as next-generation nuclear power technology development.
The project calls for building 16 research structures at a cost of 654 billion won at an area covering 2.22 million sq. meters on top of hiring 500 research officials.
The provincial government plans to devote itself to building the nuclear power industry by building an SMR industrial complex in Gyeongju and a nuclear hydrogen nuclear complex in Uljin, which were recently finalized as state-run industrial complexes by the central government.
The SMR industrial complex in Gyeongju is expected to be a global next-generation nuclear power industry core center through nurturing production, raw materials, parts equipment companies and integration based on SMR research foundation, such as securing core nuclear power technologies in conjunction with KAERI’s King Munmu the Great Research Institute and building manpower development structure.
The hydrogen nuclear complex in Uljin is expected to be the nation’s hydrogen industry outpost by establishing a clean energy water electrolysis mass production system using commercial nuclear power units and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and accommodating related companies.
It will lead the development of the Korean hydrogen energy industry by building R&D, storage, transportation and utilization structure through building nuclear hydrogen production and verification industrial complexes.
