Twelve South Korean shipbuilding, nuclear industry, research and academic organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish an offshore small modular reactor (SMR) technology demonstration center in Ulsan.
The agreement was signed on October 6 at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). The participating industry organizations include HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, KEPCO Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, the Korean Register, Hyundai Heavy Industries Turbomachinery and Clad Korea.
Research and education institutions include Ulsan Technopark, UNIST, Seoul National University, KAIST and Hanyang University.
The center will coordinate the verification and demonstration of offshore SMR technologies by connecting the participating organizations’ specialized personnel, testing facilities and research infrastructure. The partners also plan to share existing facilities to reduce duplicate investment and improve testing and verification efficiency.
Alongside technology demonstrations, the organizations will jointly develop core technologies, link university research with industry requirements and identify large-scale government-funded research projects. By combining shipbuilding capabilities with nuclear design and operational expertise, the partners aim to establish a full-cycle foundation covering SMR development, demonstration and eventual commercialization in South Korea.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said the center is expected to strengthen cooperation between the country’s shipbuilding and nuclear sectors and help bring forward the commercialization of offshore SMRs.
https://safety4sea.com/south-korea-advances-offshore-nuclear-technology-with-new-smr-center/?shem=aimgspe,
