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KHNP and France's Orano Expand Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Cooperation

On September 8, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and France's Orano SA (Orano) signed a letter of intent for long-term cooperation in uranium enrichment at the Élysée Palace in Paris. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the leaders of both South Korea and France. This letter of intent represents a further extension of the existing cooperation between the two parties. In April this year, during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to South Korea, KHNP and Orano had signed a memorandum of understanding on global, mutually beneficial cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle sector. Under the letter of intent, the two parties plan to deepen cooperation in the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. KHNP...

2026-09-09

South Korea's Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Shut Down Upon Expiration of Design Lifespan

South Korea's Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 will cease operation upon the expiration of its 40-year design lifespan. Following the shutdown of this unit, two of the six units at the Hanbit plant will have been taken offline due to reaching the end of their design lifespans. Unit 2 of the Hanbit plant received its operating license on September 12, 1986, and commenced commercial operation on June 10, 1987. Based on a 40-year design lifespan, the unit's operating license remains valid until September 11, 2026. The operator plans to conduct periodic inspections and planned preventive maintenance after the unit is shut down. In accordance with relevant regulations, once a unit reaches the end of its design lifespan, it may not resume operation until its application for continued operation is approved, and it must undergo legally required inspections and maintenance, and...

2026-09-09

South Korea Notifies IAEA of Intention to Consult on Safeguards Arrangements for Nuclear-Powered Submarine

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Monday at the agency's Board of Governors meeting in Vienna that South Korea has formally notified the IAEA of its intention to consult with the agency on safeguards arrangements for its envisioned nuclear-powered submarine program. Grossi stated that South Korea has notified the IAEA Secretariat of its intent to discuss relevant arrangements pursuant to Article 14 of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA). This provision allows a country to use nuclear material for non-prohibited military purposes, such as naval nuclear propulsion, under arrangements concluded with the IAEA. It was noted that South Korea also reaffirmed its continued commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Safeguards Agre...

2026-09-08

KHNP Hosts Nuclear Safety Culture and Leadership Workshop

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on September 8 that it held the "2026 Nuclear Safety Culture and Leadership Enhancement Workshop" at its headquarters from September 7 to 8, with discussions focused on building a safety culture oriented toward nuclear power plant sites and strengthening management-level safety leadership. Approximately 40 people attended the workshop, including Cho Seok-jin, Vice President of Safety Technology at KHNP, as well as relevant officials from the headquarters and each nuclear power plant. Participants shared best practices and improvement items in safety culture development at each plant and discussed how to more effectively implement safety requirements in frontline operations and management processes. The workshop also covered major accident prevention...

2026-09-08

South Korea Calls on Vietnam to Support Korean Companies' Participation in Nuclear Power Plant Projects

According to the South Korean Prime Minister's Office, the Prime Minister recently met with the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly, who was on an official visit to South Korea, at the Seoul Government Complex, where the two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation. The South Korean side expressed its hope to promote the continued development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. During the talks, South Korea specifically requested that the Vietnamese National Assembly continue to pay attention to and support the resolution of difficulties faced by Korean energy companies operating in Vietnam, while creating favorable conditions for Korean companies to participate in infrastructure projects in Vietnam, including high-speed railways and nuclear power plants. The Vietnamese side stated that the Vietnamese National Assembly is continuously improving its legal and policy framework to create a better investment environment and welcomes Korean companies to pay attention to Vietnam's infrastructure...

2026-09-08

South Korean Companies Advance Nuclear Hydrogen Demonstration Project in Czech Republic

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on September 8 that it has completed a joint research review with the Czech Hydrogen Association (HYTEP) on the legal, institutional, and policy environment for nuclear hydrogen production in the Czech Republic and the European Union, and exchanged views on advancing a clean hydrogen production demonstration project in the Czech Republic. The two sides held a results-sharing meeting on September 7 at Hwangnyongwon in Gyeongju, South Korea, to review the final outcomes of the research. The study, launched in September 2025 and spanning approximately 11 months, primarily examined policy directions, laws and regulations, certification requirements, and market access conditions in the nuclear and hydrogen sectors in the Czech Republic and the EU, providing an institutional basis for the implementation of nuclear hydrogen production projects. Based on the research findings, KHNP plans to promote a clean hydrogen production demonstration project integrated with nuclear power in the Czech Republic.

2026-09-08

Gyeongju City in South Korea Submits Key Requests to Government for Extension of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant

Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, stated on September 7 that it has submitted five key pending matters to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, covering nuclear power plants, support facilities for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal, and water supply guarantees for the Hyeongsan River basin. On the same day, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young and National Assembly member Kim Seok-ki met with Minister Kim Sung-hwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to explain the importance of the relevant projects to regional development and public welfare, and requested review and support at the central government level. Regarding support facilities for radioactive waste disposal...

2026-09-08

Korea and U.S. reportedly in talks to jointly build 8 large-scale nuclear power plants in the U.S.

According to the South Korean government and political figures on September 7, South Korea and the United States are in the final stages of discussions on a plan to jointly build up to 8 large-scale nuclear power plants in the U.S. The plan is seen as one of the follow-up projects under the Korea-U.S. investment arrangement in the U.S. Sources say the U.S. side had proposed allocating $120 billion of the $200 billion investment commitment to the construction of 8 nuclear power plants within the framework of investment in the U.S. An additional $150 billion in shipbuilding-related investment falls outside that commitment. However, the South Korean government reportedly did not accept the proposal to directly specify the exact investment amount, instead preferring to use general wording such as "jointly building 8 nuclear power plants" in relevant documents to preserve room for further coordination...

2026-09-08

South Korea Develops 3D Non-Contact Inspection System for High-Temperature Superconducting Wire

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) recently announced that a research team led by Ha Hong-su and Park In-sung at its Low-Temperature Device Research Center has developed a three-dimensional non-contact ultra-precision inspection system capable of continuously measuring the thickness and width of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire. The institute stated that this is the world's first such inspection system for HTS wire. KERI researchers Ha Hong-su and Park In-sung pose with a high-temperature superconducting wire beside the 3D non-contact ultra-precision inspection system. [Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute] HTS wire exhibits near-zero electrical resistance below a specific temperature, enabling high-current, low-loss transmission,...

2026-09-07

South Korea's KNR System Develops Heavy-Duty Bipedal Robot for Nuclear Facility Decommissioning Applications

South Korean robotics company KNR System recently announced the completion of the lower-body development and basic locomotion verification for its large-scale industrial "super-humanoid" robot. The robot's leg structure can support loads of up to 3 tons and move at a speed of 3 to 4 kilometers per hour. The company plans to release the full model by the end of 2026 and has already initiated whole-body system integration work. KNR System is developing a super-humanoid robot design. Image source: KNR System According to reports, the newly developed robot legs stand approximately 2.9 meters tall, with a maximum load capacity of 3 tons and a dual-arm payload of 600 kilograms. Each side is equipped with 12 joints, utilizing 10,000 Nm-class high-output hydraulic rotary actuators...

2026-09-07

South Korean President's Visit to France to Discuss Korea-France Nuclear Energy Cooperation and Joint Nuclear Power Plant Exports

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Nice, France, on September 6 local time, beginning a five-day, four-night state visit to France. The visit was arranged at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron and coincides with the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France. According to the visit schedule, Lee Jae-myung will travel to Paris on the 8th for talks with Macron at the Élysée Palace. The two sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, nuclear energy, and biotechnology, with nuclear energy cooperation listed as one of the key agenda items. In the nuclear energy sector, the two sides are expected to explore cooperation plans, including combining France's capabilities in nuclear design and reprocessing technology with South Korea's experience in nuclear power plant construction and equipment manufacturing, to study the feasibility of joint exports of nuclear power plants to third-country markets.

2026-09-07

Unit 3 at Saeul Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea Shut Down Again During Trial Operation

Unit 3 at the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), was shut down again during trial operation. The unit, located in Ulju County, Ulsan, South Korea, has a generating capacity of 1,400 MW. According to the plant operator, operators manually shut down the reactor at approximately 3:01 p.m. on the 6th. The shutdown was initiated after a leak was confirmed in a pipe related to turbine steam condensate. The plant stated that the manual shutdown was carried out to ensure facility stability and facilitate maintenance. The plant also stated that the shutdown caused no radiological impact and that the unit is currently in a stable condition. Personnel are analyzing the cause of the pipe leak. This...

2026-09-07

Changwon National University and Wrocław University of Science and Technology Partner to Cultivate Nuclear Power Manufacturing Talent

The Artificial Intelligence Innovation Research Center for Next-Generation Nuclear Energy Equipment and Component Manufacturing (AI-NMIC) at Changwon National University recently signed a cooperation agreement with Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WUST) in Poland, under which the two institutions will collaborate on talent development in the fields of next-generation nuclear power and nuclear energy equipment manufacturing. This marks AI-NMIC's first formal partnership with an overseas university. Wrocław University of Science and Technology is one of Poland's key technical universities, with strong foundations in engineering fields such as mechanical, electrical, and materials science. As Poland advances...

2026-09-06

South Korean President to Visit France for Nuclear Energy Cooperation Talks

At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will pay a state visit to France from September 6 to 9. The South Korean side stated that during the visit, the two sides will hold discussions on cooperation in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, nuclear energy, and biotechnology, with nuclear energy cooperation listed as one of the key agenda items. South Korean National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac said at a press conference on the 4th that this visit will serve as an opportunity to consolidate the Korea-France global strategic partnership. The South Korean side hopes to expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as nuclear energy through joint research and development, corporate collaboration, and market access...

2026-09-05

South Korean civic groups oppose construction of spent fuel storage facility at Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant site

On September 4, the Joint Action Organization Against Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in the Honam region of South Korea held a press conference in front of the high-level radioactive waste forum venue in Gochang County, North Jeolla Province, demanding the cancellation of plans to build a storage facility at the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant site and proposing fundamental measures to address nuclear waste issues. The organization stated that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is pushing forward with the construction of temporary storage facilities at the plant site on the grounds that the spent fuel pools at Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant may reach saturation by 2030. The organization argued that this move fails to adequately respond to the opinions of residents near the plant and amounts to unilaterally shifting the burden of nuclear waste onto the local community. The organization stated that the current plan involves building storage facilities at the existing nuclear power plant site...

2026-09-06