Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed an MOU with Candu Energy on November 21 (local time) for business cooperation in the field of nuclear decommissioning at SNC-Lavalin headquarters in Canada.
Candu Energy is a company that possesses original technology for CANDU®, the core design of Candu-type heavy water reactors.
The two companies agreed to cooperate in areas such as dismantling waste, cost, cutting technology, and digital twin.
In addition, the two companies agreed to establish a mutual cooperation system for comprehensive technology exchange and information exchange, including the sharing of nuclear power plant decommissioning experiences.
For commercial nuclear power plants with heavy water reactors around the world, the delayed decommissioning method is selected by stopping operation of the power plant and waiting for more than 60 years until the radioactive concentration falls below a certain level.
As KHNP promotes the immediate decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants with heavy water for the first time in the world, it is enhancing its nuclear power plant decommissioning capabilities for safe dismantling of Wolseong Unit 1.
Wolseong Unit 1 will become the world's first heavy water nuclear power plant that chose immediate dismantling.
Through this MOU, it is expected that this MOU will serve as an opportunity not only to secure capabilities for safe decommissioning of nuclear power plants, but also to take a step forward in entering the overseas decommissioning market.
“This MOU is the cornerstone of strategic international cooperation to preoccupy the global heavy water reactor decommissioning market," said Choi Deuk-gi, head of the KHNP nuclear power plant management department. "We will use it as a stepping stone that can be utilized in practical connection with the heavy water reactor dismantling project as well as technology and experience exchanges.”
