KHNP Loads Korea's First Accident-Tolerant Fuel Demonstration Assembly

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on July 1 that it held a ceremony to commemorate the loading of an accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) demonstration assembly at the Hanul Unit 3 nuclear power plant.

The assembly consists of 236 fuel rods bundled together in a square configuration, and this marks the first time that an ATF demonstration assembly has been loaded into a nuclear power plant in Korea.

Accident-tolerant fuel is characterized by enhanced safety compared to conventional nuclear fuel. It is composed of chromium (Cr)-coated cladding tubes and sintered pellets (LAS-Doped UO2 pellet) with improved performance, enabling the plant to secure a greater safety margin in the event of an emergency.

KHNP, in collaboration with Korea Nuclear Fuel, began developing accident-tolerant fuel in 2017 as part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's core nuclear technology project, and successfully completed the technology development in 2022. Subsequently, in May 2023, a combustion test of a "demonstration fuel rod" was initiated at the Saeul Unit 2 reactor, and since last month, four bundles of "demonstration assemblies" have been loaded into Hanul Unit 6, where combustion tests are currently underway.

Previously, the European Union (EU) included nuclear power in its Green Taxonomy, stipulating the use of accident-tolerant fuel as a condition, and the Korean Green Taxonomy also contains similar requirements.

The development of accident-tolerant fuel is expected not only to pave the way for nuclear power to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality by meeting green energy requirements, but also to support the industry's expansion into overseas markets.

KHNP plans to continue combustion testing through 2029, followed by post-irradiation testing and regulatory approval, with the goal of completing commercialization.

Hwang Jooho, President of KHNP, stated, "Accident-tolerant fuel developed with proprietary Korean technology will serve as the foundation for enhancing nuclear power plant safety and for exporting nuclear technology. We will continue to focus on developing technologies that further improve nuclear safety."