Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 03 2023

AsiaElec NUCLEAR AsiaElec

Korean nuclear tech

looks to go global

SOUTH KOREA SOUTH Korean nuclear agencies have raise issues faced over the course of the year and
announced their intent to jointly promote share potential solutions.
exports of domestic nuclear technology and A MOTIE statement released soon after
know-how under a ‘Team Korea’ moniker in the the meeting closed said the gathered attendees
years ahead. had “pledged to strengthen teamwork as Team
As a nation reliant on nuclear power for Korea.”
almost 30% of its electricity supply, and with Private industry was also represented by a
plans to increase nuclear generated output to number of household names across Korea in the
201.7 TWh by the end of the decade, South form of the CEOs of Daewoo, Doosan, Hanwha,
Korea has long sought to increase its overseas Hyundai, Kumho, Posco and Samsung.
influence in nuclear circles. A $2.4bn (KRW 3 trillion) deal in August of
In July of 2022, the South Korean government last year to provide turbine islands to the new
under then newly elected President Yoon Suk- El Dabaa NPP in Egypt, as well as an October
yeol introduced a new energy policy intent on agreement between the MOTIE and Polish Min-
ensuring a minimum of 30% of nuclear power istry of State Assets towards further nuclear col-
in the national energy mix by 2030. laboration, were spotlighted as recent successes.
Yoon’s conservative leaning People Power To the east of Egypt, across the Red Sea, four
Party government also initiated plans to pack- Advanced Power Reactors capable of producing
age the export of 10 nuclear power plants (NPPs) 1,400 MW of energy have already been installed
in the same time frame, as well as working to at Barakah in the United Arab Emirates, at what
develop a home-made, small-scale modular is the first NPP in the Arabian Peninsula.
reactor. Speaking on behalf of the government, the
As such a meeting late last week in the Korean Second Vice Minister at MOTIE, Park Il-jun,
capital hosted by the nation’s Ministry of Trade, said that these deals could only happen because
Industry and Energy (MOTIE) groups from of the close co-operation Team Korea showed
across the peninsula were brought together throughout the year, before asking KHNP to
to discuss the potential for NPP construction work towards turning words into actions with
overseas. Polish authorities in the current year.
Represented at the meeting were chief exec- “Team Korea has sufficient capacity to con-
utive officers of Korea Electric Power Company struct the best nuclear power plants in the
(KEPCO), subsidiaries Kepco Engineering & shortest period of time with the most economic
Construction, KEPCO Plant Service & Engi- measures,” Vice Minister Park said.
neering, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel and the head of The minister went on to say that MOTIE is
the Korea Nuclear Association for International also working with nations around the world such
Cooperation. as the Czech Republic and United Kingdom in
The CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Europe, Turkey and the UAE in the Middle East,
(KHNP) was also present. and also the Philippines closer to home in areas
Kepco and KHNP took centre stage through- involving “strategic co-operation”.
out the meeting, according to reports, with pro- Park’s comments to this end were understood
ceedings focusing primarily on nuclear exports to refer in the main to the nuclear fuel plant
made during the last 12 months. exports, but with high tech Korean-produced
Plans for 2023 were also highlighted, with safety equipment also making up a sizeable por-
attending agencies taking the opportunity to tion of Seoul’s nuclear related exports. ™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 03 17•January•2023