한국전력기술

KEPCO E&C signed an international technical consulting agreement concerning the NSSS instrumentation and control system and the computer code for NRC design certification of the APR1400 with Tetra Tech, Inc., located in Michigan, USA, at the office of the director of nuclear reactor design development on March 27.

Tetra Tech, an energy and environment-related technical consulting company founded in 1966, employs 13,000 people at 330 offices worldwide. According to a recent Engineering News-Record (ENR) survey of technical consulting performance, the company ranks no. 1 in the world in water quality management, no. 2 in wind power energy, and no. 8 in nuclear power.

The main aims of the consulting agreement are to develop a strategy for acquiring I&C approval of the design certification without designating a certain digital platform, and to analyze the recent regulatory position of the NRC and obtain advanced know-how of the approval process based on rival foreign reactor models (i.e., US-APWR, US-EPR, AP100 and ESBWR), in order to develop analysis methodologies to overcome design standard incidents involving common software problems.

At the signing event, Director Jun-seok Yang stated that the APR1400’s safety and economic efficiency have been proven by Shinkori Units 3 & 4 and Shinulchin Units 1 & 2 (currently in construction) as well as by technology exports to the UAE, and said that he expected US NRC Design Certification would proclaim its safety to the global markets and greatly contribute to the export of Korea’s nuclear technology. He emphasized that it is very important to successfully and promptly acquire NRC Design Certification for the APR1400 through the partnership between KEPCO E&C and Tetra Tech.

Dr. S. Joh Kang, Group Vice Chairman of Tetra Tech, expressed his respect for the development of the Korean nuclear industry and pledged to provide the best possible support to the industry regardless of the consulting agreement. He emphasized that clear and timely communication between the teams of KEPCO E&C and Tetrach Tech would be needed for the approval process in order to comply with the NRC DC certification schedule of the APR 1400.

KEPCO E&C expects that the signing of the consulting agreement will resolve the approval and key technical issues related to the APR1400 NSSS instrumentation & control system and safety analysis, and thereby help the companies to guarantee the quality of APR1400 Design Certification documentation and meet the NRC DC acquisition schedule.