[Featured Stock] KEPCO Industrial, Core of Carbon Neutrality 'SMR' 620 Trillion Market... US-China Technology Race

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] KEPCO Industrial Development is showing strong performance. The rise in stock price appears to be influenced by the global spotlight on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a key technology for carbon neutrality, leading to intense competition in development.

As of 10:47 AM on the 24th, KEPCO Industrial Development is trading at 11,350 KRW, up 18.97% from the previous day.

According to the report "Status of SMRs in Major Countries and Korea's Challenges" released by the Federation of Korean Industries on the 23rd, SMR technology is gaining attention worldwide as a major means to achieve carbon neutrality. SMRs are small reactors with an electric output of around 300 MW. Unlike large nuclear power plants with outputs exceeding 1,000 MW, SMRs are integrated units where major components are contained within a single pressure vessel. They are evaluated as having a low risk of radioactive leakage at connection points between devices even in the event of an accident. Although their output is smaller, their enhanced safety makes them a core technology for realizing carbon neutrality.

Major countries such as the United States and China are entering the race to secure SMR technology with bold government-level investments. Korea plans to conduct a preliminary feasibility study for the development of "innovative SMR (i-SMR)" technology this fall.

The full-scale commercialization era of SMRs is expected to begin by 2030. The UK National Nuclear Laboratory estimates that the market size could reach up to 620 trillion KRW by 2035.

Major countries are sparing no support for technology development. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as of September last year, 71 SMR designs are being developed worldwide. The United States and Russia are leading development with 17 designs each, while China (8) and the UK (2) are also accelerating their efforts. The Joe Biden administration decided earlier this year to invest 3.2 billion USD (approximately 3.6 trillion KRW) over the next seven years in SMR development.