Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corporation, and the Innovative Small Modular Nuclear Power Plant (SMR) Technology Development Team marked a significant achievement by successfully completing the first stage basic design inspection at the Onoma Hotel in Daejeon. The two-day session, attended by approximately 100 experts from academia and research fields, included discussions on innovative SMR business operation plans and technology development directions.
Since 2021, KHNP, in collaboration with various domestic research institutes, has been actively engaged in the conceptual and basic design research for innovative SMRs. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Innovative SMR Business Group, established in February, is overseeing the project’s development.
The ongoing basic design study, led by KHNP, is on track for completion by year-end. Moving into 2023, the project will intensify efforts in standard design development and license acquisition under the supervision of the Innovative SMR Business Group. Concurrently, regulatory agencies are reviewing preliminary designs, aiming to finalize the standard design by 2025, submit license applications in early 2026, and secure standard design approval by 2028. This signifies a strategic push toward advancing nuclear technology in the evolving energy landscape.
