Changwon, Gyeongnam, the No.1 Nuclear Industry Hub, to Establish 'SMR Manufacturing Support Center'

Signing of Cooperation Agreement for Establishing SMR Cluster

A Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Manufacturing Support Center will be established in Changwon, Gyeongnam, the leading hub of South Korea's nuclear power industry.

On the 3rd, Gyeongnam Province announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the establishment of the SMR Manufacturing Support Center to cooperate in creating a global SMR cluster at the provincial government office meeting room.

A business agreement for the establishment of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Production Support Center was signed at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Office's administrative meeting room.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government Office]

Representatives from 10 organizations?including Gyeongnam Province, Changwon City, Doosan Enerbility, Samhong Machinery, Changwon National University, Gyeongsang National University, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Korea Conformity Laboratories, and Gyeongnam Technopark?as well as about 30 participating companies involved in the SMR Manufacturing Support Center, attended the signing ceremony.

The main points of the agreement include: ▲ Establishing an SMR Manufacturing Support Center and advanced manufacturing equipment tailored to the needs of manufacturing companies ▲ Research and development (R&D), demonstration, evaluation, and support for companies to develop core SMR manufacturing technologies ▲ Joint research and business support for the commercialization of next-generation nuclear power ▲ Training of professionals and building a manufacturing foundry cooperation system to ensure sustainable operation, among others.

This agreement follows the government's announcement in February to foster Gyeongnam Province and Changwon City as a global SMR cluster, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's selection of Gyeongnam Province and Changwon City in April as the site for the SMR Manufacturing Support Center project.

Gyeongnam-type SMR Robot Utilization Production Support Center Promotion System.
[Provided by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

The SMR Manufacturing Support Center will be built in the expanded area of the Changwon National Industrial Complex in Namji-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon City, with a total investment of 32.3 billion KRW?9.7 billion KRW from the national government, 22.3 billion KRW from local governments, and 300 million KRW from participating organizations?starting from 2025.

The center will be responsible for establishing SMR manufacturing equipment, developing automation technologies and processes using robots to shorten production periods, supporting prototype production, developing automated processes, and training specialized personnel.

Governor Park stated, "The global trend is shifting the nuclear power industry paradigm toward SMRs, making it extremely important for both the nation and the region to secure a leading position in the SMR sector. We will actively strive to establish a global SMR cluster and secure the future SMR market through innovation in SMR manufacturing, which is a strength of Gyeongnam."

Jang, the First Vice Mayor of Changwon City, said, "This SMR Manufacturing Support Center project by the Ministry of Industry will serve as the first step in the government's policy to revitalize the nuclear power industry by creating a global SMR manufacturing cluster in Changwon and Gyeongnam. Changwon City will do its utmost to support this initiative."

Small Modular Reactor (SMR). [Provided by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

A Small Modular Reactor (SMR) refers to a reactor with an output of 300 megawatts (300MW) or less, which can be operated individually or as a group of around ten SMRs.

Compared to conventional large-scale nuclear power plants, SMRs feature simpler designs and can be manufactured as modules in factories up to 80% completion before being installed on-site. As a result, manufacturing competitiveness is expected to directly determine future SMR competitiveness.

Previously, Gyeongnam Province selected "SMR technology development and normalization of the nuclear power industry" as a key policy task for the 8th popularly elected administration and established its first comprehensive plan to foster the nuclear power industry in June last year.

Through this center, the province plans to: ▲ Develop and demonstrate innovative manufacturing technologies using robots for main equipment production ▲ Shorten SMR manufacturing periods by more than 50% ▲ Reduce manufacturing costs by more than 60% ▲ Achieve quality standardization and automation, thereby supporting local small and medium-sized enterprises to gain global competitiveness in SMR manufacturing.