Hyundai E&C announced on the 3rd that it is entering the global nuclear decommissioning market by participating in nuclear decommissioning projects in the United States, becoming the first domestic construction company to do so.
Nuclear decommissioning takes at least 10 years or more, including permanent shut-down, safety management, removal of spent nuclear fuel, facility dismantling, and site restoration. Due to the long duration and demanding technology, as well as restrictions from relevant laws and equipment, there have only been 25 completed decommissioning cases worldwide. In Korea, last month, the Nuclear Safety And Security Commission decided to approve the decommissioning of Gori Unit 1, marking the official start of the decommissioning project after eight years of permanent shutdown.
Hyundai E&C has led the Korean nuclear era by constructing 24 Korean-style nuclear units, starting with Gori Unit 1 in 1971. Based on comprehensive technology and experience covering the entire lifecycle of nuclear energy, the company has gained early recognition in the highly challenging nuclear decommissioning market. It has accumulated substantial decommissioning-related experience and technology by participating in equipment improvement projects for aging nuclear power plants in Korea, such as the steam generator replacement at Gori Unit 1. As a result, Hyundai E&C announced that it has achieved the milestone of being the first construction company to enter the U.S. nuclear decommissioning market.
Since 2022, Hyundai E&C has signed a cooperation agreement for the decommissioning of Indian Point Units 1 to 3 with Holtec, a U.S. company with unparalleled capabilities in the nuclear decommissioning field. The company has sent specialized staff directly to the decommissioning sites to exchange relevant know-how and expertise, strengthening its global decommissioning capabilities.
In this project, Hyundai E&C is jointly executing key processes of nuclear decommissioning, including ▲ cutting reactor structures and dismantling contaminated equipment ▲ removing and transporting spent nuclear fuel and storage facilities ▲ demolishing buildings and managing waste.
The company has also actively participated in the use of advanced technologies to minimize the exposure of decommissioning workers, such as remote automatic welding systems and special lifting systems.
Hyundai E&C plans to apply the technology and experience acquired through this collaboration in the decommissioning projects in Korea, including Gori Unit 1, as it conducts nuclear decommissioning projects in the United States, which is noted as the largest market for global nuclear decommissioning. Holtec possesses a dry storage system for nuclear fuel that accounts for over 50% of the U.S. nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management market. Hyundai E&C is expanding its collaboration with Holtec beyond decommissioning to include radioactive waste storage technology.
In domestic achievements, Hyundai E&C has secured technologies related to site restoration, including ▲ monitoring and contamination assessment technologies for decommissioned nuclear groundwater ▲ restoration technologies for radioactive contaminated soil and groundwater ▲ site deregulation and safety assessment technologies ▲ evaluations for site reuse through the ‘safety assessment of decommissioned nuclear sites and regulatory release’ project commissioned by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in 2019. In 2022, it received the first green certification from the Ministry of Environment in this field using its self-developed radioactive contaminated soil restoration technology.
Since last year, it has been conducting services to verify the site conditions of permanently shut-down nuclear plants such as Gori Unit 1 and Wolsong Unit 1 and to establish decommissioning procedures.
An official from Hyundai E&C said, "The global nuclear decommissioning market is projected to reach 500 trillion won by 2050," and noted, "As the only domestic construction company with experience in U.S. nuclear decommissioning, Hyundai E&C has accumulated various capabilities, including contamination soil restoration, management of aging facilities, dismantling structures, dry storage of spent nuclear fuel, and treatment of radioactive waste. Therefore, we expect to secure contracts in the expanding field of nuclear decommissioning both domestically and internationally."