Yoon Administration Accelerates Nuclear Waste Facility Securing... R&D Roadmap to Be Finalized Within the Year

Government Holds 'Radioactive Waste R&D Roadmap Forum'
Discussion on Core Technologies Including Transport and Storage System Design
Plan to Establish '1.4 Trillion' Radioactive Waste Fund by 2060

A view of the temporary spent nuclear fuel storage facility (MACSTOR) at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Headquarters in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The government is accelerating efforts to secure a 'high-level radioactive waste disposal facility.'

On the 4th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it held a 'Radioactive Waste Transport and Storage R&D Technology Roadmap Discussion' at the Asti Hotel in Busan. Experts on spent nuclear fuel in Korea, including Professor Jeong Jae-hak of Kyung Hee University's Department of Nuclear Engineering and Professor Lee Byung-sik of Dankook University's Department of Energy Engineering, attended the discussion.

The discussion focused on promoting R&D for key radioactive waste management technologies such as the design of radioactive waste transport and storage systems and container development. Specifically, in the transport sector discussion, the goal was to secure immediately applicable commercialization technologies, including design, manufacturing, and inspection technologies for transport containers by waste type, as well as securing technologies for transport system design, operation, and safety verification. Investment plans for safety evaluation technologies, including storage facility and container design, linkage between nuclear power plants and interim storage facilities, and radiation and accident impact analysis, were also reviewed.

The government plans to prioritize domestic production in the transport and storage sector of radioactive waste, where the technology gap with leading countries is relatively small. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the domestic technology level in radioactive waste transport and storage stands at 83.8% and 79.6%, respectively, compared to the leading country, the United States. The technology gap is estimated at 3.4 years and 5.1 years, respectively. A ministry official explained, "Container design and manufacturing technologies and transport technologies between nuclear power plant units, which are close to commercialization, will be domestically produced early under industry leadership," adding, "We plan to secure a global competitive advantage."

The ministry plans to finalize the radioactive waste disposal facility R&D roadmap within the year through consultations with overseas expert organizations and coordination with related ministries. Earlier, on the 20th of last month, the government announced a roadmap containing an annual R&D promotion plan for radioactive waste management aimed at establishing a Korean-style disposal facility. According to the roadmap, the government will create a radioactive waste fund worth 1.4 trillion won from next year until 2060 to develop disposal facility technologies. The government plans to invest 146.3 billion won in developing radioactive waste transport and storage technologies using the fund.

Seo Ki-woong, Policy Advisor to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "Transport and storage technologies for the safe removal of high-level radioactive waste within the site are key to radioactive waste management," adding, "We will promote high-level radioactive waste management based on scientific rationality and technical feasibility."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.