Orbitech, a corporations providing nuclear and radiation-related solutions, said on the 13th that it won a contract from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) for the "use inspection service for spent nuclear fuel transport casks for Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2." The contract is worth about 1.3 billion won, and Orbitech will carry out the work for about a year.
This project involves inspections to verify the safety and integrity of the spent nuclear fuel transport casks used at Hanul Units 1 and 2. It requires high levels of technology and expertise in nuclear safety management.
Spent nuclear fuel refers to nuclear fuel that has finished its use at nuclear power plants. It continuously emits high levels of radiation and heat, making it a representative type of high-level radioactive waste that requires long-term safe management. Most domestic nuclear plants currently store spent nuclear fuel in wet storage pools, but as plants operate longer, storage saturation at major facilities is becoming more prominent.
Accordingly, the need to establish safe storage and transport systems for spent nuclear fuel is growing. The importance of transport technology and safety verification, in preparation for operating dry storage facilities and future interim storage facilities, is also coming to the fore. In particular, spent nuclear fuel transport casks must maintain radiation shielding and sealing performance under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and domestic nuclear safety regulatory standards, making strict use inspections before shipment essential.
Orbitech completed its qualified supplier registration in the relevant field with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) in Mar. and immediately succeeded in winning this service contract. The company plans to focus its capabilities on radioactive waste treatment and disposal, including spent nuclear fuel, and on nuclear decommissioning projects to strengthen its business competitiveness as a nuclear full-cycle safety management specialized corporations.
A company official said, "This order is significant in that it achieved tangible business results within a short period after qualified supplier registration," and noted, "We plan to continuously strengthen our technological competitiveness in response to the expansion of the market for spent nuclear fuel storage, transport, and related safety management."
The domestic market related to spent nuclear fuel transport is expected to show strong growth going forward. At the end of last year, the Kori nuclear plant's spent nuclear fuel storage saturation rate was 93.5%, and Hanbit's was 85.3%, bringing storage facilities close to their capacity limits. KHNP plans to switch spent nuclear fuel storage facilities at Kori, Hanbit, and the Wolsong CANDU reactors to dry storage by around 2030.