The Nuclear Safety And Security Commission held its 208th meeting on the 27th, officially starting the approval process for the dismantling of the Wolsong Unit 1. There is a possibility that the dismantling permit for Wolsong Unit 1 could be granted as early as the end of next year. The review for the dismantling permit for Gori Unit 1 began in January 2022 and is expected to receive approval in the first half of this year. The nuclear industry expects that the dismantling permits for Wolsong Unit 1 and Gori Unit 1 will provide a boost to the domestic nuclear power plant dismantling industry.
◇500 units dismantled by 2050, 500 trillion won market
Dismantling a nuclear power plant refers to all activities involved in permanently halting the operation of the facility and demolishing the facility and site or removing radioactive contamination. The typical phases of nuclear power plant dismantling consist of preparation before permanent shutdown (2 years), safety management and spent nuclear fuel removal (5 years), actual dismantling (6 years), and restoration (2 years). The entire process takes a minimum of 15 years.
Given the complexity of the dismantling process, the market size is substantial. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the expense of dismantling one nuclear power plant is 872.6 billion won. The domestic nuclear power plant dismantling market is estimated to be around 26 trillion won based on 30 nuclear power plants. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that globally, there are currently 188 nuclear power plants that are in a state of permanent shutdown but have not been fully dismantled, and it is projected that a total of 588 nuclear power plants will be permanently shut down by 2050. Although there are differences in estimates among institutions, the market size for nuclear power plant dismantling is expected to reach approximately 500 trillion won by 2050.
For domestic corporations to enter the overseas nuclear power plant dismantling market, a "track record" is essential. They must have experience in dismantling nuclear power plants domestically to be eligible to win contracts abroad. This is why the domestic nuclear industry is awaiting the dismantling permits for Gori Unit 1 and Wolsong Unit 1.
Seobum-kyung, head of the Nuclear Facility Clean Technology Development Department at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, noted, “Without a track record in dismantling, it is difficult to even obtain opportunities to participate in overseas nuclear power plant dismantling projects,” adding, “We must validate our technology through the dismantling of Gori Unit 1 and Wolsong Unit 1 to lay the groundwork for expanding into overseas markets.”
◇Corporations embark on securing nuclear power plant dismantling technology
Domestic corporations have focused on securing dismantling technology since the permanent shutdown of Gori Unit 1 in 2017. Doosan Enerbility has intensified its efforts in waste management. After signing a technical agreement for the development of a storage container for spent nuclear fuel with NAC in the U.S. in 2015, they exported it to the U.S. in 2021. Additionally, in 2023, they signed a comprehensive design service contract for a spent nuclear fuel dry storage system with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
Hyundai E&C was the first domestic corporation to participate in the U.S. Holtec's Indian Point nuclear power plant dismantling project in 2022. At that time, they took part directly in the overall business areas of nuclear plant dismantling, including chemical decontamination and cutting of reactor pressure vessels and internals. In addition, they secured technology related to site restoration through the task of 'decommissioned nuclear site contamination and regulatory release safety evaluation' commissioned by KHNP.
Daewoo E&C signed a business agreement with an overseas company experienced in nuclear power plant dismantling in 2021 and has been performing construction related to nuclear power plants, such as replacing steam generators at Hanbit Units 3 and 4. They are strengthening their competitiveness by securing core dismantling technologies, including cutting techniques utilizing plasma (a state where atomic nuclei and electrons are separated at high temperatures) and special wires.
KEPCO KPS has been awarded the contract for the system decontamination service of Gori Unit 1 and is currently executing it. Decontamination refers to the process of reducing radioactivity to a certain level. Various technologies are required for nuclear power plant dismantling, including decontamination, cutting, waste disposal, and site restoration, with decontamination being the starting point. A representative from KEPCO KPS stated, “We plan to secure decommissioning achievements for heavy-water reactors like Wolsong Unit 1 and then advance into the overseas heavy-water market.”
◇Dismantling technology demonstration facilities also being established
Domestic nuclear-related institutions have begun preparations for the development of dismantling technology and the demonstration of equipment. The Robotics Application Research Laboratory at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has independently developed a high-load dual-arm robot called 'Armstrong' and transferred it to the robotics company Victek. Armstrong can freely move objects weighing up to 200 kg.
Victek and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute plan to deploy the Armstrong robot on nuclear plant dismantling sites for decontamination, cutting, and transportation of hazardous materials. Jeong Yeon-seob, secretary-general of the Korean Nuclear Society, stated, “Research and development of new technologies for nuclear power plant dismantling, including digital twins, robots, safety monitoring facilities, and chemicals for decontamination, is necessary.”
The government is also providing support. As the special law for high-level radioactive waste disposal, which includes various regulations related to waste disposal, passed the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, voices of welcome emerged from the industry. Until now, Gori Unit 1 had been without legal grounds for the storage of spent nuclear fuel, relying instead on temporary storage facilities. With the implementation of this law, the establishment of spent nuclear fuel storage facilities will become possible, facilitating the dismantling process.
The Korea Atomic Energy Restoration Research Institute plans to establish demonstration facilities for verifying nuclear power plant dismantling technology starting this summer. An official from the institute stated, “We plan to introduce a pressurized water reactor mock-up in July this year and install a heavy-water reactor model sequentially by mid-next year.”
There are also opinions that, to quickly establish competitiveness in the nuclear power plant dismantling market, it is necessary to strategically collaborate with overseas corporations and research institutes instead of solely focusing on domestic technology development. Jeong Beom-jin, a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Kyunghee University, noted, “Since the volume of nuclear power plant dismantling is not consistently high, it may be more effective to consider strategic cooperation with overseas technologies rather than fully domesticating all technologies.”