Groundbreaking of 'Wonhaen Haetchae Yeonguso'... Completion in 2026

The Nation's First Dedicated Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute... Operational from 2026

A view of Gori Unit 1 located in Gijang-gun, Busan. Operations were halted in 2017.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The country's first 'Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute' has broken ground. The government is accelerating efforts to secure decommissioning technology, which is emerging as a future growth engine in the nuclear power generation sector.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that Cheon Young-gil, Director General of the Energy Industry Bureau, attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute held on the morning of the 31st in Ulju-gun, Ulsan City. The Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute is the first research institute in the country dedicated to developing nuclear power plant decommissioning technology. Previously, the government established the institute's corporation in August 2020 and has since been conducting preparatory work.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is establishing the Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute because the nuclear power plant decommissioning market is beginning to bloom. Global consulting firm Deloitte analyzed that the nuclear power plant decommissioning market will go through a blooming phase until 2029 and will grow significantly from 2030 onward. The global nuclear power plant decommissioning market is expected to reach 204 trillion KRW in scale from 2031 to 2050.

The institute is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2026. It will be located on the border area between Busan and Ulsan. The institute will house about 240 pieces of R&D equipment for nuclear power plant decommissioning, including decontamination performance evaluation and analysis devices.

The Heavy Water Reactor Decommissioning Technology Center, a branch of the Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute, will secure a site in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, and begin construction in the second half of next year. The Heavy Water Reactor Decommissioning Technology Center was established for the decommissioning work of the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, the only heavy water reactor nuclear power plant in the country. Both the Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute and the Heavy Water Reactor Decommissioning Technology Center plan to secure about 100 research personnel and start full-scale operations from the second half of 2026.

The government invested 313 billion KRW of national funds to establish the institute. Specifically, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy invested 87.4 billion KRW. Public institutions related to nuclear power, such as Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, contributed 193.4 billion KRW. Local governments including Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongju, where the institute is located, also invested 32.2 billion KRW. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to secure additional funding in the future.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy intends to use the establishment of the institute as an opportunity to actively foster the domestic nuclear power plant decommissioning industry. A ministry official explained, "The Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute will be responsible for demonstration of decommissioning technology, support for technology development, analysis of radioactive waste, and provision of domestic and international nuclear power plant decommissioning information," adding, "We will develop it into a comprehensive platform supporting the domestic nuclear power plant decommissioning industry."

The ministry also held a meeting with companies in the nuclear power plant decommissioning sector on the same day. At the meeting, the ministry discussed the 'Plan to Strengthen Competitiveness of the Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Industry to Establish a Foundation for Global Market Entry,' which will be announced in December. Representatives from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, KEPCO Engineering & Construction Company, KEPCO KPS, Doosan Enerbility, and others shared opinions on strengthening competitiveness in nuclear power plant decommissioning, including nurturing core personnel and specialized companies.

Director General Cheon said, "Ahead of the full-scale decommissioning of Kori Unit 1, the Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Research Institute will play a central role in securing safe nuclear power plant decommissioning technology," and added, "The government will do its best to secure work opportunities and R&D so that nuclear decommissioning technology personnel and decommissioning companies can grow based on excellent technological capabilities."

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