한국전력기술

KEPCO E&C signed a contract with the Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI) on March 8 with regard to complimentary design and licensing support for APR1400 NRC DC, which is expected to include two stages: a) Pre-application design control document (DCD) writing, and b) Post-application Q&A during the review by NRC* in the APR1400 NRC DC project. The contract amounts to 97 billion won (some $97 million; VAT included) and it will cover the first stage of the project for architect engineering (A/E) and nuclear steam supply system (NSSS). 

Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) is a Korean brand-new nuclear power reactor based on the U.S. System 80+ reactor type. We at KEPCO E&C acquired “Advanced Power Reactor 1400 Standard Design Approval” from the Korean government in 2002. All the Korean nuclear power plants after Shin-Kori 3 and 4 have applied APR1400.  

Design Certification (DC) refers to a safety certification for standard design of a specific reactor awarded by the regulatory authority. The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and all the other Korean nuclear industry players are in an active move to apply for APR1400 NRC DC. They aim to further upgrade the international status of APR1400 geared by the historic UAE contract in 2009 and enhance competitiveness in the global market. Design improvements and changes will be replicated from Shin-Kori 3 and 4 and the latest licensing requirements as of June 2012 will be reflected in the first place. The DC application will be completed by late 2012, targeting final approval by late 2015.

This contract will serve as a springboard for our design and licensing experience not only for domestic nuclear power plants but also NRC applications to come, making inroads into the global market with stronger competitive edge in nuclear power plant design.