Kazakh, Korean companies to cooperate in nuclear power projects : New Nuclear

29 June 2022

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Energy (KHNP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kazakhstan Nuclear Energy Vegetation (KNPP) – a department of the federal government’s Samruk-Kazyna Nationwide Welfare Fund – to cooperate on the introduction of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan.

The signing of the MoU between KHNP and KNPP (Picture: KHNP)

The MoU was signed in Seoul on 28 June throughout a go to of a Kazakh delegation led by Vice Minister of Vitality Zhandos Nurmaganbetov and representatives of the South Korean Ministry of Commerce, Business and Vitality, in addition to KHNP. Their journey included a tour of items 5 and 6 of the Shin Kori plant, that are at present below development.

Via the MoU, the 2 firms have agreed to cooperate in areas reminiscent of the event of recent nuclear energy vegetation, the applying of nuclear know-how, human useful resource coaching and public acceptance.

“The signing of this Memorandum will strengthen the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and South Korea within the area of nuclear power improvement,” Kazakhstan’s power ministry stated.

KNHP famous that it submitted a proposal to Kazakhstan in 2019 for the development of two 1000 MWe or 1400 MWe nuclear energy vegetation. Since then, the corporate stated it has “maintained a steady cooperative relationship”.

In September final 12 months, Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev introduced as a part of a nationwide handle that Samruk-Kazya would start exploring using nuclear power. He stated it will “discover the potential of growing protected and environmentally pleasant nuclear power in Kazakhstan” and that it will be achieved “as rationally as doable, with out hypothesis and feelings”.

In December, KNPP signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with small modular reactor (SMR) developer NuScale to research the deployment of SMRs in Kazakhstan. NuScale stated the settlement will see the businesses share technical experience as they “study the worth NuScale’s small modular reactor know-how may deliver to the nation.” The US firm will help KNPP to judge its know-how, “together with nuclear energy plant engineering, development, commissioning, operation and upkeep, and project-specific research and design work.” In 2019, NuScale submitted a ‘technical and worth supply’ to KNPP.

In February this 12 months, Kazkhstan’s Vitality Director of the Division of Nuclear Vitality and Business stated that the federal government was evaluating six suppliers: NuScale Energy; a US-Japanese consortium of GE Hitachi; KHNP; China Nationwide Nuclear Company; Rosatom; and EDF.

Nevertheless, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported on 29 June that the Kazakh Vitality Ministry has excluded the USA and Japan from the listing of potential suppliers of know-how for the nuclear energy plant venture as their proposed reactors haven’t but been constructed or operated anyplace elsewhere but.

KNPP is getting ready to submit a proposal for a brand new nuclear energy plant to the president throughout the third quarter of this 12 months for the development of two new nuclear energy vegetation with a complete capability of as much as 2800 MWe.

Kazakhstan has 12% of the world’s uranium assets and is the world’s largest producer. A Russian-designed BN-350 sodium-cooled quick reactor operated close to Aktau in Kazakhstan for 26 years till 1999, producing electrical energy and desalinating water. The query of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan has been mentioned for a few years, with each giant and small reactors included in varied draft power plans over the past decade.

Researched and written by World Nuclear Information