LS Electric-HanSuwon Collaborate to Build SMR 'Smart Net Zero City'

Koo Ja-kyun "Platform Export... Expecting Growth of K-Industries Like Shipbuilding, Electricity, and Semiconductors"

LS Electric and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) have agreed to collaborate on distribution technology related to the Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-based Smart Net Zero City (SSNC). Koo Ja-kyun, Chairman of LS Electric, emphasized his hope that the SSNC platform will be exported and nurtured into a new Korean-style industry (K-Industry) such as the LS Group's future growth businesses in 'Battery, Electric Vehicles, and Semiconductors' (B·E·S).

Koo Ja-kyun, Chairman of LS Electric (right), and Hwang Ju-ho, President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement for the development of Smart Net Zero City (SSNC) technology based on Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Photo by LS Electric

On the 16th, LS Electric and KHNP announced that they signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding for SSNC Technology Development' at KHNP's Central Research Institute in Daejeon, with Chairman Koo and KHNP President Hwang Ju-ho among the attendees from both companies.

Based on LS Electric's power system and distributed power solutions and KHNP's SMR and SSNC technologies, the two companies plan to collaborate on future SMR-based energy research and development (R&D), project cooperation, and technology exchange. They are expected to strengthen cooperation not only in SSNC construction but also in AI data center and power grid solutions linked with innovative SMR (i-SMR).

Last December, KHNP introduced i-SMR and the SSNC utilizing it as solutions to power grid crises at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28).

LS Electric stated that it is enhancing its competitiveness in businesses related to AI data centers, energy storage systems (ESS), and microgrids using various renewable distributed power sources, including SMRs.

It holds more than 60% of the domestic commercial data center power infrastructure market share. Through group affiliates LS Cable & System and subsidiary LS South Africa, it provides solutions for data centers. Recently, it has been developing an 'AI Data Center One-Stop Solution' in cooperation with the global company Vertiv.

President Hwang said, "Since LS Electric possesses advanced smart grid technologies essential for SSNC, we expect to maximize synergy between the two companies. We hope to build a sustainable strategic partnership to secure the global market for i-SMR."

Chairman Koo said, "I look forward to exporting the SSNC platform, which combines KHNP's i-SMR and LS Electric's power system technology capabilities, to the global market and further developing it into a new 'Korean-style industry' such as battery, electric vehicles, and semiconductors."