The Ministry of Science and ICT said on the 29th that it held a "small modular reactor (SMR) ship corporations roundtable" at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, chaired by Vice Premier and Minister Bae Kyung-hoon of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
In March, at the 5th meeting of ministers related to science and technology, the government selected the development of SMR ships as one of the 12 missions of the "K-moonshot project." To apply the technology in the marine environment, reactor miniaturization, safety, and long-term continuous operation capabilities are required, and the government views SMR ships based on molten salt reactors as the main development direction.
At the roundtable, participants included the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Samsung Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Hanwha Ocean, Century, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, and other related corporations and academics. They discussed public-private cooperation methods and technology development tasks with the goal of starting construction of SMR ships by 2035.
At the meeting, the need to build an artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual reactor platform was raised as a way to shorten development time. The idea is to verify reactor safety in a digital environment before real-world demonstration and reduce uncertainties in the design and operation process. Participants also said that, because SMR ships have different characteristics from existing nuclear power plants or general ships, a licensing system tailored to them must be established first.
Training specialized personnel was also cited as a major task. It is necessary to secure personnel who understand both nuclear and shipbuilding technologies, and it was suggested that international cooperation should be strengthened so that domestic technologies and systems can be reflected in the process of establishing future international standards.
Participants said the government needs to play a coordinating role throughout the entire process, from fundamental technology development to demonstration and commercialization, and agreed to form a "public-private joint SMR ship task force." The Ministry of Science and ICT and the participating institutions and corporations decided to review ways to use the task force as a cooperation channel.
Vice Premier Bae Kyung-hoon said, "Korea has competitiveness in the nuclear and shipbuilding sectors, so public-private cooperation is important in SMR ship development," adding, "based on the special SMR act, we will support development and commercialization, and support SMR ship development pursued as a K-moonshot mission."
On the same day, Bae visited the i-STEP construction site, an integrated effects test facility for innovative SMRs within the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). The facility aims to be completed in Dec., and the government and researchers shared plans to pursue obtaining standard design approval for the innovative SMR. He then visited the STELLA-II site, an integrated effects test facility for sodium-cooled fast reactors, to check on development progress.