SeAH Besteel Passes US NRC Review for Spent Nuclear Fuel Transport and Storage Casks, First in Korea

Strengthening Long-term Partnerships with Leading Nuclear Power Companies like Excel Energy and Orano TN

Used nuclear fuel transport and storage cask supplied by SeAH Besteel to Orano TN in the United States. Photo by SeAH Besteel

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] SeAH Besteel's spent nuclear fuel transport and storage cask (CASK) product has been recognized for its technology and quality reliability by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). SeAH Besteel plans to accelerate its push into the global nuclear power market.

SeAH Besteel announced on the 23rd that it has become the first domestic company to pass the U.S. NRC's quality assurance program audit in the field of spent nuclear fuel dry storage.

The NRC is the agency responsible for licensing and regulating the construction, operation, and use of nuclear materials at commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. Due to the nature of the nuclear industry, its safety evaluations and quality assurance program audits are known to be rigorous.

In August, the NRC, together with the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), visited SeAH Besteel's nuclear plant in Gunsan to conduct a quality assurance program audit of SeAH Besteel's spent nuclear fuel transport and storage cask (CASK). They evaluated the product manufacturing process and the implementation status of the quality assurance program, ultimately deciding to pass the audit.

With this, SeAH Besteel has consecutively passed the NRC quality certification program audit following certifications obtained in 2019 for manufacturing nuclear grade 1 equipment and materials under the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Korea Electric Power Industry Code (KEPIC), securing competitiveness in nuclear products that meet global standards.

SeAH Besteel's passing of the NRC quality assurance program audit is expected to strengthen its position as a major supplier of spent nuclear fuel transport and storage casks in the U.S. market, which accounts for over 30% of the global nuclear power market, and create favorable conditions for future bidding. Approximately 90 nuclear power plants are currently operating in the U.S., and they are expected to reach the end of their lifespans sequentially within the next 30 years, leading to increased demand for nuclear plant decommissioning and spent nuclear fuel handling products.

SeAH Besteel's push into the U.S. nuclear market began in earnest earlier this year. In March, it successfully exported three final spent nuclear fuel transport and storage cask products to Xcel Energy, a U.S. energy utility service company, marking a domestic first. An additional 14 units are scheduled for supply starting next year. Notably, in September, SeAH Besteel discussed strengthening long-term partnerships in domestic and international nuclear projects with Xcel Energy and Orano TN, solidifying cooperation with leading global nuclear companies.

A SeAH Besteel official stated, "Passing the NRC quality certification program audit provides an opportunity to actively target the domestic and international spent nuclear fuel dry storage markets. In particular, through strengthening partnerships with global leading companies such as Orano TN in the design and operation of nuclear products, we expect the technology for manufacturing spent nuclear fuel transport and storage casks to become a new growth engine."

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