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South Korea Reassesses New Nuclear Power Plant Construction Amid Rising AI Electricity Demand

On September 8, South Korea's Minister of Climate and Energy Environment, Kim Sung-hwan, stated in an interview that due to the expansion of the artificial intelligence industry, South Korea's future electricity demand is expected to increase by 25 to 30 gigawatts. The government is reassessing the possibility of constructing new nuclear power plants and plans to announce the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand next month. Kim Sung-hwan said the aforementioned additional demand mainly stems from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix expanding semiconductor production, as well as the construction of new AI data centers. As internal combustion engine vehicles transition to electric vehicles and the scope of electric heating replacing gas heating expands, South Korea's overall electricity demand will continue to grow. The South Korean government...

2026-09-09

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and SK Hynix to Jointly Use Proton Accelerator and Other Facilities for Semiconductor Radiation Reliability Research

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced on July 29 that its Proton Science Research Group has signed a mutual cooperation agreement with SK Hynix to jointly utilize research facilities such as the proton accelerator to advance research on semiconductor radiation reliability. According to the agreement, the two parties will conduct joint research on proton beams and neutron beams generated by the proton accelerator and the HANARO research reactor, and explore methods to simulate real atmospheric and cosmic radiation environments using high-energy proton beams, gamma-ray beams, and neutron beams for radiation impact assessment of semiconductors and other products. In outer space and high-altitude aircraft flight environments, the shielding effect of the atmosphere and magnetic field against cosmic radiation is relatively weakened. After being exposed to cosmic radiation, semiconductors may experience malfunctions or damage. Therefore, semiconductors used in mobile devices such as automobiles and satellites need to have their radiation resistance verified before being put into use.

2026-07-29