POSCO E&C "Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 Construction, Consortium Synergy Expected"

"Active Participation in Next-Generation Nuclear Power Projects Including SMR"

The Hyundai Engineering & Construction consortium (Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Doosan Enerbility, POSCO E&C) has been awarded the contract as the main contractor for the Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 main equipment construction. POSCO E&C plans to actively participate in future nuclear power projects starting with this.

Perspective view of Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 / Photo by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power

According to industry sources on the 1st, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power selected the Hyundai Engineering & Construction consortium as the main contractor for the Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 main equipment construction the day before. The main equipment construction refers to the installation and commissioning work related to civil engineering, architecture, machinery, electrical, piping, and instrumentation for major equipment of nuclear power plants.

POSCO E&C, which has strengths in constructing nuclear utilization facilities such as accelerators, plans to maximize synergy with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which holds completion records for all reactor types (OPR1000, APR1400) starting from the first domestic construction of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, and Doosan Enerbility, the only domestic main equipment supplier with manufacturing and installation capabilities.

POSCO E&C stated that it has maintained essential quality certifications for nuclear power projects, including the Korea Electric Power Industry Code (KEPIC) design and construction certification and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) construction certification, and has steadily accumulated nuclear power-related technologies. In June last year, it established a specialized organization to expand its nuclear power business.

POSCO E&C emphasized that it is also actively engaged in the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) business, which is gaining attention as the next-generation nuclear reactor. Previously, POSCO Group, POSCO Engineering & Construction, and POSCO ICT participated in a consortium led by Korea Electric Power Corporation in 2010 to promote the national project 'SMART' and contributed to obtaining the SMART standard design approval in 2012. SMART refers to an SMR developed under national leadership.

In particular, POSCO E&C became a shareholder in Smart Power, established in 2014 to commercialize the SMART project. The following year, when the government and Saudi Arabia signed a 'MOU for Pre-Construction Design of SMART,' POSCO E&C became the first private construction company to jointly conduct the basic design of the SMART nuclear power plant with Korea Electric Power Technology.

Recently, POSCO E&C is participating in the development and commercialization of the new SMR model 'Innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR)' promoted by the government. The i-SMR passed the preliminary feasibility study in September 2021 and aims to obtain standard design approval by 2028 and begin exports by 2030.

A POSCO E&C official said, "Starting with the Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 project contract, we plan to actively participate in nuclear power generation projects as well as nuclear utilization facility projects such as next-generation synchrotron accelerator projects by concentrating the capabilities of POSCO Group."

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