SKT and KHNP Apply 5G Private Network to Hanul Nuclear Power Plant...Enhanced Disaster Response Capability

Conceptual diagram of the 5G private network configuration and services being established at Uljin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant. Photo by SKT

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] SK Telecom and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced that they will jointly promote the "5G Convergence Service Discovery and Public Leading Application" project to enhance disaster response capabilities at nuclear power plants and activate 5G specialized networks (Eum 5G) by applying a 5G specialized network to the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant located in Uljin, Gyeongbuk within this year.

This project is led by KHNP as the main institution and demand organization, with a consortium of 12 companies including SK Telecom, SK Holdings C&C, SK O&S, Sapeon Korea, Only Information & Communication, Dongyang I-Tech, Cyber Telbridge, Rami, HFR, Entels, and AM Solutions participating together.

In June, KHNP and the 12 companies participated as the "KHNP Consortium" in the free category of the "5G Convergence Service Discovery and Public Leading Application" project promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency (NIA), and were selected as the lead project operator.

Earlier this year, Hanul Nuclear Power Plant experienced disruptions such as the loss of some sections of its private wired network and commercial network due to the Uljin wildfire. The application of the 5G specialized network is expected to strengthen its disaster response capabilities by replacing the existing communication network.

The consortium members, including KHNP and SKT, plan to demonstrate three nuclear disaster response specialized services based on 5G specialized network infrastructure around Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 to 6 (transmission equipment redundancy service, emergency command communication service, and on-site situation relay service). They also plan to open the "KHNP 5G Specialized Network Collaboration Center" to support KHNP’s headquarters control system located in Gyeongju and partner companies.

If this project is successfully completed, KHNP plans to expand the application of 5G specialized networks to nuclear, hydroelectric, and pumped-storage power plants nationwide. In particular, the 5G specialized network will be applied to Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4, where early construction was recently decided to restore the nuclear ecosystem, to enhance the safety and efficiency of the construction site. They are also actively considering global expansion based on the "disaster response solution through 5G specialized networks."

SKT plans to support this project by mobilizing its world-first 5G commercialization technology and 37 years of accumulated communication technology know-how, providing full-cycle 5G specialized network communication and new technology consulting, as well as utilizing its information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud.

Jeon Hye-su, Director of Digital Innovation Promotion at KHNP, said, "After successfully completing this leading application project, KHNP plans to improve the safety and efficiency of nuclear power plant construction and operation based on 5G specialized networks by expanding to other nuclear power plants and applying it to the construction sites of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4."

Shin Yong-sik, Head of Connect Infrastructure at SKT, said, "We are pleased to contribute to both the restoration of the nuclear power ecosystem and the activation of the 5G specialized network industry by pioneering the application of the 5G specialized network at Hanul Nuclear Power Plant," adding, "We will successfully complete this project through SK Telecom’s world-class wired and wireless communication technologies and various AI services."