KNFC Envisages Global
Nuclear Fuel Supplier

Seeks to develop an export-oriented next generation fuel of high performance

Korea Nuclear Fuel Co. Ltd. (KNFC), (President CEO Yang Chang-kook), established in 1982, is the sole nuclear fuel company in Korea. KNFC, which began production of PWR fuel from 1989, now has an annual capacity of producing 400MTU for PWR and PHWR each. As of the end of 2005, KNFC provided approximately 3,830 ton-U of PWR fuel and 2,892 ton-U CANDU fuel. As a result, KNFC's supply of nuclear fuel means that an estimated $100 million worth of imports is substituted. KNFC also provides nuclear fuel services for the pool-side examinations and repair of irradiated fuel assemblies, etc.
The company is conducting the reload core design, including safety analysis and operational engineering services for 16 PWRs in operation, and the initial core design for 6 PWRs under construction. More than 125 reload core designs and 8 initial core designs have successfully been performed as of the end of 2005. For improving fuel utilization and securing additional reactor operation flexibility with enhancing safety margin, KNFC has actively conducted various research and development programs. In 2002, KNFC completed the development of PLUS7TM, which is an advanced fuel for OPR1000, the Korean Nuclear Standard Power Plant). In the latest achievement, KNFC has succeeded in commercializing the advanced nuclear fuel that could pave the way for reducing nuclear fuel costs by approximately 8 billion won per annum. The company announced on April 11 the delivery of the first replacement of PLUS7TM.
For Westinghouse type reactors in Korea, the development if ACE7TM was also completed in 2004. Improvements of reactor core design and safety analysis methodologies are also under way with completion slated for the end of 2006.
KNFC held a ceremony marking the complement of a project designed to localize gadolinium pellet on March 10. The localization of gadolinium pellet is expected to bring economic benefits of substituting an annual average of 3 billion worth of imports and improving reactor operation and nuclear fuel efficiency.
KNFC, which has so far depended on imports, spent 2.5 billion won for the project that proceeded for four years from 2002.
On the base of mutual benefit and good faith, KNFC has been building up international relationships with global companies through joint R&D programs, technical cooperation and exchanging human resources and will keep promoting the relationships.
With the aim of leaping into the world's top 3 nuclear fuel companies by the year 2015, the company is seeking to lead the world's nuclear fuel technology. Toward that end, it has been focusing on developing the export-oriented next generation fuel and manufacturing technology. The development of the next-generation nuclear fuel as the No. 1 priority project of the nuclear power sector is to be completed by 2010. The development and commercialization of the futuristic nuclear fuel would secure source technologies, thus contributing to building up an infrastructure for making nuclear fuel an exporting industry. Korea's 20 nuclear plants'replacement of the projected high-performance nuclear fuel would enhance nuclear safety, economic benefits and social acceptance, according to industrial analysts. On top of some 30 billion won in a reduction in annual nuclear fuel costs, the high-performance fuel would bring economic benefits amounting to an estimated 200 billion won in improved nuclear power plant production efficiency per annum, they said.
KNFC has been strictly observing nuclear power-related regulations and procedures at home and abroad with emphases on safety while establishing stern system for quality guarantee. Due to these efforts, the company has garnered KOSHA18001 in 2002, a system of industrial safety and health, the first nuclear power mark from the government and achieved the 9times non-disaster in 2004. It proved to be excellent company in terms of safety and quality management by acquiring the ISO9001: 2000 certificate for the fourth straight time from 2001.
Although it brought in nuclear fuel design and manufacturing design and manufacturing technology from abroad in the initial stage, the company has successfully developed updated technology for nuclear design and manufacturing thanks to its experience and technology development. It started exports of nuclear fuel design manpower from 2001 and manufacturing manpower from 2003.
KNFC is now exporting key nuclear fuel components to the United States, main exporter of related technologies, and selling improved test assemblies for the heavy water reactors to Canada. In the future, the company is poised to increase exports in many areas like engineering service, and fuel service as well as finished goods and nuclear fuel structural parts. KNFC is firmly committed to become a world-class nuclear fuel company by producing and supplying high quality nuclear fuels that meet the needs of clients and enhance their competitiveness. It is also poised to do its best advance design and manufacturing technologies while continuing with the ethics management. nw

KNFC President-CEO Yang Chang-kook

KNFC's nuclear fuel assembly