Samsung Heavy Industries to Develop Marine Molten Salt Reactor Technology

Agreement Signed Between Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Marine Nuclear Power Technology Development
Research on MSR-Based Floating Nuclear Power Plant and Nuclear-Powered Ships

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Samsung Heavy Industries is taking a full-scale step toward developing marine nuclear power plant technology, which is emerging as a carbon-zero energy source.

On the 9th, Samsung Heavy Industries announced that it signed a "Marine Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) Development and Joint Research Agreement" with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the only comprehensive nuclear research and development institution in Korea.

Through this agreement, Samsung Heavy Industries plans to pioneer the market for MSR-based floating nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered ships as part of strengthening its capabilities to expand future new businesses.

The agreement includes ▲ development of MSR core technologies and related equipment such as heat exchangers ▲ design of marine nuclear products and development of business models △ joint research plans for performance verification and economic feasibility evaluation.

MSR is a type of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) that has recently attracted attention as a carbon-zero energy source to respond to the climate crisis. It has the advantage that the nuclear fuel usage cycle exceeds 20 years, which matches the lifespan of ships, so replacement is not required after installation, and the reactor size is relatively small, making it easy to apply to ships.

Also, if an abnormal signal occurs inside the reactor, it is designed so that the molten salt, which is liquid nuclear fuel, solidifies to fundamentally prevent serious accidents, enhancing safety. It also has the strength of simultaneously producing high-efficiency electricity and hydrogen, so it is expected to have various applications such as next-generation green hydrogen production bases.

Jung Jin-taek, CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries, said, "MSR is a carbon-free energy source that can efficiently respond to climate change issues and aligns with Samsung Heavy Industries' vision as a next-generation technology." He added, "We plan to focus on research and development so that MSR, along with ammonia and hydrogen technologies currently under development, can become a new future growth engine for Samsung Heavy Industries."