Nuclear power companies in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, selected for SMR advanced manufacturing technology project

Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, announced on the 30th that local nuclear power companies and research institutions have all been selected in a government project solicitation, and will participate in developing three key technologies to shorten the manufacturing cycle of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

This project is organized and solicited by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment of South Korea and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), with a focus on innovative SMR manufacturing technologies. These technologies are considered helpful in improving the manufacturing efficiency of key reactor components and compressing production cycles.

According to the arrangement, Doosan Enerbility will be responsible for constructing a 4-meter-class ultra-large Powder Metallurgy Hot Isostatic Pressing (PM-HIP) facility and developing SMR component manufacturing technology based on metal powders. Koryo Precision Industry will be responsible for designing an ultra-large electron beam welding system capable of joining thick metal materials in a short time under vacuum conditions, and promoting the localization of related equipment.

The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) will collaborate with companies in the consortium to develop an SMR production system using metal 3D printing technology and manufacture related components.

Companies and research institutions participating in the project plan to invest a total of 256.9 billion Korean won in government and private funds to complete the development of the three technologies by 2031.

SMRs are considered one of the future directions of nuclear energy technology. Through integrated design and factory-based manufacturing methods, they are expected to shorten the construction period of nuclear power projects and reduce initial construction costs. Currently, multiple countries are accelerating SMR technology research, development, and industrial deployment.

Gyeongsangnam-do is an important cluster for nuclear power equipment manufacturing in South Korea. Centered around the Changwon National Industrial Complex, approximately 240 nuclear power-related companies form an industrial cluster around Doosan Enerbility. Doosan Enerbility is a major manufacturer of core components for South Korea's nuclear power plants.