[Report] Korea's First Nuclear Power Plant Mockup Installed... Paving the Way for Demonstration of Decommissioning

KNERI Headquarters in Busan Unveils New Mockup Facility
Convergence of Robotics, AI, and Digital Twin Technologies
"From Follower to Leader in Decommissioning Technology"
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The country's first nuclear power plant mockup is installed inside the Nuclear Environment Restoration Research Institute mockup building located in Gijang, Busan. The structure on the right in the photo is the upper structure, and the one at the back is the reactor vessel mockup. Photo by Heejong Kang

"This will mark the beginning of South Korea's entry into the ranks of advanced countries in nuclear power plant decommissioning technology."

On the afternoon of September 2, a ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Korea Nuclear Environment Restoration Institute (KNERI) in Gijang-gun, Busan, to mark the installation of the country's first nuclear power plant mockup (a full-scale model).

At the event, which also commemorated the fifth anniversary of KNERI's founding, Lee Kwangho, Director of the Research Division at KNERI, stated, "Only a handful of countries worldwide have experience in decommissioning light water reactor nuclear power plants. The country's first nuclear power plant mockup will not only provide sufficient practical and verification data, but also serve as a turning point for South Korea to move from a follower to a leader in the decommissioning industry by integrating with Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies."

The newly installed light water reactor mockup facility replicates the structure and environment of an actual nuclear power plant, enabling reliable demonstration research on decommissioning. Song Moogeun, Team Leader at KNERI, explained, "The reactor is built at a 1:1 scale, allowing for demonstrations in an environment identical to a real facility."

A view of the mock-up building (left in the photo) and the research building (right in the photo) at the headquarters of the Nuclear Environment Restoration Research Institute in Gijang, Busan. A demonstration analysis building is also planned to be added in the future. Photo by Heejong Kang

The nuclear power plant mockup can be used to test decommissioning technologies and equipment developed by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, its partner companies, and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. A large crane has also been installed in the mockup building to lift decommissioning equipment and cut sections. Furthermore, the mockup is modular, so even after it is dismantled or cut, it can be reused semi-permanently for repeated tests.

KNERI has initially installed the reactor vessel and upper structure mockups and plans to add the upper head, lower head, and lower structure in the future.

This project is part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's "Technology Development Project to Strengthen Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Competitiveness," with a budget of 128.9 billion won over four years starting in 2023. GS Heavy Industries is responsible for the mockup production.

A KNERI representative stated, "We aim to establish this as an 'open innovation space' that can be widely utilized by academia, industry, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises, and young researchers, contributing to the development of global standard technologies, revitalization of the decommissioning industry ecosystem, and the creation of future jobs."

KNERI has presented a vision to lead global nuclear power plant decommissioning standards by developing convergence technologies that combine robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twin technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In addition to the nuclear power plant mockup, the mockup building also houses the Plasma Torch Melting System (PTM) developed by Bitsronextech. This equipment uses the high heat generated by a plasma torch to reduce the volume of waste produced during decommissioning.

Plasma Torch Melting System (PTM) developed by Bitsronextech

Next to the mockup building, a radionuclide analysis research facility has also been established in the research building. This facility will study technologies for measuring the radioactivity of waste generated during nuclear power plant decommissioning. An additional demonstration analysis building is scheduled to be constructed in October next year.

KNERI was established in 2020 as a public interest corporation to support the demonstration and advancement of nuclear power plant decommissioning technologies and to assist decommissioning projects. It carries out government research and development (R&D) projects such as nuclear system and chemical-physical decontamination, nuclear environment and site measurement, and analysis of decommissioning waste characteristics.

KNERI's headquarters is located in Gijang-gun, Busan, near the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, and it has a branch (Heavy Water Reactor Decommissioning Technology Center) in Gyeongju, where the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, a heavy water reactor, is located. In the future, a heavy water reactor mockup will also be installed.

The event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other related government agencies, experts from academia, industry, and research institutes, as well as key figures from the local community. Awards were presented to more than 10 individuals who contributed to the development of the nuclear power plant decommissioning industry.