'Troublesome' Heavy Water Reactor Waste Becomes a 1 Trillion Won Resource... Korea Achieves World's First Commercialization [Reading Science]

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Transfers C-14 Resource Recovery Technology to Private Sector
Radioactive Waste Reduced to 1/100

Radioactive waste from heavy water reactors, once considered a troublesome burden to be discarded, is now being revived as a high-value resource worth over 1 trillion won, thanks to a world-first technology that has reached the commercialization stage.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed a technology to selectively recover only the high-value isotope "carbon-14 (C-14)" at high concentrations from spent ion-exchange resins generated at nuclear power plants such as the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant. By transferring this technology to a private company, a new turning point has emerged, allowing nuclear waste to be viewed not as a cost driver but as a "resource warehouse."

Conceptual diagram of wastewater sludge upcycling technology using C-14 containing heavy water. Provided by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

World's First 'C-14 Resource Recovery Technology' Transferred to Private Sector... "Intermediate-Level Waste Reduced to 1/100"

On December 10, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced that it had signed a technology licensing agreement with SeongKwang TNS Co., Ltd., transferring four patents and one set of know-how related to the process technology for detaching and recovering carbon-14 (C-14) from heavy water reactor spent ion-exchange resins.

Spent ion-exchange resins generated during the treatment of heavy water used in CANDU reactors contain various radioactive nuclides, including C-14, and have been classified as intermediate-level radioactive waste. Currently, about 400 tons of spent ion-exchange resins are stored at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, but disposal at radioactive waste repositories is difficult, and their chemical instability has made long-term storage a significant burden.

The research team led by Dr. Park Hwanseo from the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technology Development Division at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute developed a technology that removes and recovers C-14 at high concentrations in a short time using only microwaves, without any use of acids or chemicals, opening up possibilities for solving these issues.

Applying this technology reduces the radioactivity of the spent ion-exchange resins to less than 1/100 of the original level, making it possible to convert them into low-level waste. The recovered C-14 is concentrated to more than 100 times its original concentration, making it industrially usable. The research team explained that, considering the market value of C-14, an economic effect of around 1 trillion won can be expected.

This technology was validated in a commercial-scale demonstration (100 kg/batch) at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant over approximately three months starting in November last year. This is the world's first case of successfully demonstrating spent resin upcycling technology at commercial scale at a nuclear power plant site, and it is seen as clear evidence of the transition from research and development to commercialization. Four related patents have already been registered domestically, and patent applications and registrations have been completed in Canada and the United States, with the technology's excellence recognized internationally.

Demonstration of Commercial-Scale Medium-Sized Reactor Wastewater Treatment Process (100kg batch). Provided by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

SeongKwang TNS Begins Commercialization... "Aiming for Overseas Expansion Beyond Domestic Success"

SeongKwang TNS Co., Ltd., which received the technology transfer, is a company specialized in the management and treatment of radioactive waste and has jointly pursued the development of heavy water reactor spent resin treatment technology with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute since 2015.

Based on this technology, SeongKwang TNS strengthened its commercialization foundation by securing a technical service contract with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in May this year. CEO Noh Kwangjun expressed his intention to expand beyond domestic commercialization to overseas markets operating heavy water reactors, aiming to establish a new industrial ecosystem in the field of nuclear waste treatment.

This technology is regarded as a representative case in which the original technology was secured through the Ministry of Science and ICT's nuclear technology development project, followed by commercialization demonstration through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's energy technology development project, and finally transferred to the private sector, completing a sequential research and development process spanning about 10 years.

Baek Minhun, Director of the Back-End Nuclear Technology Research Institute at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, stated, "This technology presents a new direction for converting radioactive waste into resources," adding, "We will continue to support the application of original technologies, secured through long-term national investment, in actual industrial settings."