South Korea Pushes Small Modular Reactor Commercialization
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Sept. 11 that the ‘Special Act on the Promotion and Support of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Development’ and its enforcement decree, enacted to promote the research, development, and demonstration of SMRs and support their commercialization, takes effect o
On September 11, the Ministry of Science and ICT of South Korea announced the enactment of the 'Special Act on the Promotion and Support of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Development' and its enforcement decree. The aim of this legislation is to spur research, development, and demonstration of SMRs, with a view to commercializing them. SMRs are seen as a crucial area for government support due to the surge in energy demand, driven by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers.
Upon the act's enforcement, the ministry will annually publish a 'Basic Plan for SMR System Development', to be revised every five years. This plan will outline policy goals, promotion strategies, and other critical aspects such as the nuclear fuel supply chain, measures to assure public acceptance, personnel training, institutional improvements, technology development, and designating SMR system research and development special zones. The ministry will review the plan's implementation every five years, making necessary adjustments.
The Ministry of Science and ICT will convene the 'SMR System Development Promotion Committee', chaired by the Minister of Science and ICT. This committee comprises vice-ministerial officials from relevant ministries and private sector experts, discussing various tasks including SMR technology development, corporate collaboration, special zones creation, and institutional improvements. The government will also support the establishment of companies jointly funded by private enterprises and public institutions.
The government is also set to support research associations for joint research among industry, academia, and research institutes. This comes as the government plans to collect opinions from local governments and the industry to develop a comprehensive plan for the SMR system research and development special zones. Criteria for designating these zones and procedures for training specialized personnel are also being defined.
Simultaneously, the ministry plans to commence detailed design of SMRs jointly with public and private sectors starting next year. Advanced technologies like digital twins will be used for verification and demonstration. For non-light water SMRs, the ministry intends to foster specialized companies, aiming for SMR utilization not just for power generation, but also in marine, national defense, and space sectors.
An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT noted that major countries are also investing in SMR technology development and institutional reforms, aiming to advance the timing of SMR development, demonstration, and commercialization. The ministry plans to organize large-scale public-private joint projects and strengthen systems to achieve light water SMR commercialization by 2035.
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