South Korea Plans to Build a National Collaborative Platform for Offshore Small Modular Reactors

Recently, Professor Seo Jeong of Korea Maritime and Ocean University (KMOU) proposed at the "First Offshore Small Modular Reactor Network" conference held at the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency in Busan that the commercialization of offshore Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) cannot rely solely on reactor R&D, and that a national platform linking reactor design, shipbuilding, and offshore testing must be established. The nuclear industry and the shipbuilding industry currently operate in silos, and manufacturers, research institutions, and regulatory bodies should cooperate from an early stage.

Seo Jeong stated that shipborne SMRs differ from land-based SMRs in that they must withstand seawater motion, impact, and corrosion, and must address onboard space cooling, maintenance, and safety verification in real environments. The relevant regulatory framework needs to cover overseas port access, port safety and emergency response, operation and maintenance, and other aspects. He also mentioned that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is revising safety standards for nuclear-powered merchant ships, and that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched the "ATLAS" international cooperation framework last August, and that South Korea should participate in these international regulatory discussions.

Regarding industrial opportunities, Seo Jeong believes that SMRs will increasingly adopt the approach of factory-manufactured components and modules followed by assembly. Busan does not need to directly develop reactor types, but can instead take on the role of applying domestic and foreign reactors to ships and manufacturing components and modules, similar to a semiconductor foundry. He advocates first investigating which components and processes local companies can handle, identifying missing manufacturing and testing technologies, and then linking these with joint R&D and certification. The under-construction "SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center" can serve as a foundation.

It is reported that Myoung-sook Nam, Vice Chair of the Maritime City Safety Committee of the Busan Metropolitan City Council, emphasized in her congratulatory remarks that nuclear power technology should be linked with the shipbuilding and maritime industries to expand local enterprise participation. She mentioned the i-SMR (Innovative Small Modular Reactor) site in Gijang-gun and the production support center in Gangseo-gu, and listed the materials, valves, pumps, piping, electrical, control, welding, and inspection technologies possessed by Busan companies. She also called for transparency and openness of information and for fully listening to the voices of Gijang residents.