"From Waste to 1 Trillion Won Resource" Commercialization of Nuclear Power Plant Waste Upcycling Technology

A core technology that recovers isotopes from radioactive waste generated at heavy water reactors (CANDU), such as the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, and recycles them as resources, has been transferred to a private company. This marks the world’s first commercialization of an upcycling technology that reuses nuclear power plant waste.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) announced on December 10 that it has signed a technology transfer agreement with SunKwang T&S Co., Ltd. for four patents and one piece of know-how related to the “carbon-14 (hereafter C-14) desorption and recovery process technology from heavy water reactor waste resin.”

Conceptual diagram of wastewater sludge upcycling technology using C-14 containing heavy water. Provided by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

Waste resin generated during the processing of heavy water contains a large number of radioactive nuclides, including C-14, and has therefore been classified and treated as intermediate-level radioactive waste. Disposal at the Gyeongju disposal facility is difficult, and due to its chemical instability, long-term storage is not easy, making waste resin a challenging issue to manage. Currently, about 400 tons of waste resin are stored at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant.

To address this situation, Dr. Park Hwanseo’s research team at the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technology Development Division developed an original technology that enables the rapid desorption and high-concentration recovery of C-14 using microwaves, without the need to add acids or chemicals.

This technology reduces the radioactivity of intermediate-level waste to less than 1/100, thereby converting it to low-level waste, and enables the recovery of the valuable isotope C-14 at concentrations over 100 times higher than before, creating an added value of up to 1 trillion won.

Notably, this technology achieved the world’s first commercial-scale (100 kg per batch) demonstration at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant in November last year. Four related patents have been registered in Korea, and recently, patent applications and registrations have also been completed in Canada and the United States, demonstrating the technology’s excellence.

SunKwang T&S is a company specialized in radiation management and waste treatment businesses for decades, and since 2015, it has jointly promoted the development of heavy water reactor waste resin treatment technology with KAERI. In May of this year, the company also secured a foundation for commercialization by winning a technical service contract from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.

No Kwangjun, CEO of SunKwang T&S, said, “With this technology transfer, we will successfully commercialize heavy water reactor waste resin treatment technology in Korea,” adding, “Our goal is to further expand our business into the global market in the future.”

Paek Minhun, Director of the Post-Nuclear Technology Research Institute at KAERI, stated, “The technology transferred to SunKwang T&S is recognized as a new direction in which radioactive waste can be converted into an important resource,” and added, “Since this is original technology developed through national long-term investment, we will continue to support its proper utilization even after the transfer.”

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