"SMR Ships to Set Sail by 2035"... Government and Shipbuilding Industry Launch 'One Team' Task Force

Vice Prime Minister Bae Meets with Companies
Accelerating AI-Based Design and Licensing Reforms

The government is accelerating its efforts to develop small modular reactor (SMR) ships, considered the next generation of eco-friendly vessels, by forming a public-private task force and setting a goal to begin construction by 2035.

On April 29, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it held a meeting with SMR shipbuilding companies at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, chaired by Vice Prime Minister and Minister Bae Kyunghoon, and agreed to push forward with the establishment of a ‘Public-Private SMR Ship Task Force’.

Reference photo to aid in understanding the article. The Floating Small Modular Reactor (FSMR) equipped with SMART100, currently in conceptual design by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and Samsung Heavy Industries. Photo by The Asia Business Daily DB

This meeting aimed to concretize the development of SMR ships, one of the core tasks of the ‘K-Moonshot Project.’ Major shipbuilding and energy companies such as Samsung Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and Hanwha Ocean participated, along with academia.

Previously, the government designated molten salt reactor (MSR)-based ships as a key technology for applying SMRs to maritime environments and set the goal of starting construction by 2035. In particular, the next five years are seen as the “golden time” to gain a lead in the SMR market, with a strategy to concentrate efforts on regulatory, technological, and industrial capabilities.

Participants at the meeting highlighted the need to build an artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual reactor platform as a way to speed up development. The aim is to verify safety during the pre-construction stage and thus shorten the development period. Additionally, there were calls to urgently revise the licensing system to reflect the unique characteristics of marine reactors.

Materials to aid in understanding the article. i-SMR design characteristics. The Asia Business Daily DB

The cultivation of skilled professionals and the necessity of international cooperation were also identified as key tasks. As SMR ships are subject to combined regulations from the nuclear, shipbuilding, and maritime sectors, there were suggestions that setting global standards and securing talent must go hand in hand.

Accordingly, the government and industry stakeholders agreed to quickly launch the ‘Public-Private SMR Ship Task Force,’ which will oversee the entire process from technology development to demonstration and commercialization, serving as a platform for collaboration.

Vice Prime Minister Bae emphasized, “Korea possesses world-class competitiveness in both nuclear power and shipbuilding,” adding, “Public-private cooperation is essential for K-SMR ships to lead the eco-friendly ship market.” He further stated, “We will fully support development and commercialization based on the Special Act on SMRs.”

Meanwhile, prior to the meeting, Vice Prime Minister Bae visited the construction site of the innovative SMR (i-SMR) Comprehensive Effect Test Facility (i-STEP) and the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) test facility (STELLA-II) to review the development status and encourage the research staff.

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