KEPCO NF is spurring its entry into global markets on the basis of its own technology.
Korea Electric Power Corporation Nuclear Fuel (KEPCO NF Co. Ltd.) CEO Kim Ki-hak announced during first staff meeting of the New Year of an opening of 2nd Nuclear Fuel Business and asked for entire staff to pledge in accomplishing the vision.
CEO Kim through his company's New Year Opening Address emphasized, "As we look forward to accomplishing our 30 years growth engine project such as construction of our 3rd factory facility plus 2nd tube factory etc. which will be vitally important factors in determining the future history of the company, we ask for your full dedication in successfully carrying out the tasks with resolute determination and thorough preparation like that of the year 1980s when the company first began producing nuclear fuel.
Exporting nuclear fuel equipment and parts
KEPCO NF is spurring the entry to the global markets on the basis of its own technology, successfully winning an order of nuclear fuel service equipment and technical training worth USD 4 million from China, and exporting zirconium alloy tubes for PWR, core parts of nuclear fuels, which it succeeded in domestically producing, to Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC in the U.S. for the first time.
Exporting our own nuclear fuel service equipment and technology
KEPCO NF specializing in designing and manufacturing nuclear fuels participated in an international competitive bid for a nuclear fuel service equipment purchase and technical training of NPIC (Nuclear Power Institute of China) in China and succeeded in obtaining the order.
The recently ordered nuclear fuel service equipment was developed by KEPCO NF participating in 「Nu-Tech 2012」research and development tasks the Ministry of knowledge Economy pushes forward for the entry into the line of developed nations in nuclear power, and the contract amount reaches USD 4 million. This equipment is scheduled to finally taken over to China on January 31, 2013 and to be used at Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in China.
The nuclear fuel service equipment and technology to be provided to NPIC in China through the recent order include:
▶ combustion tests of spent fuel;
▶ repairing damaged fuel; and
▶ ultrasound testing equipment detecting damaged fuel, installing the equipment and training in operating techniques as contractual obligations.
CEO Kim said, “It means a lot that we exported our own nuclear service equipment and technology developed by us, in the wake of exporting completely produced nuclear fuel to the UAE and exporting core parts and equipment of nuclear fuels.”
KEPCO NF have concentrated on making pitches to NPIC for the excellence of its nuclear service equipment and technology since August, 2010 to bring the recent export to a successful issue, and achieved a splendid feat of obtaining the order, beating the world’s leading competitors in the international bid held since November last year.
Exporting zirconium alloy jacket pipes for the first time
Meanwhile, KEPCO NF exported zirconium alloy tubes for PWR, core parts of nuclear fuels, it succeeded in domestically producing, to Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC of the U.S., the suzerain in nuclear power, on December 16 last year for the first time.
KEPCO NF is supposed to export 50 thousand zirconium alloy jacket pipes worth USD 2 million to Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC in the U.S., the technology bearer, for three years, and on this day, 1.5 thousand pipes, delivery of last year, were shipped first.
Zirconium alloy tubes, accounting for 70% of the nuclear fuel parts cost, are core parts, for which we have depended entirely on imports. But, KEPCO NF has produced 3 million tubes a year since 2009 through the Korea-originated technology for manufacturing tubes and evaluating performance.
Meanwhile, KEPCO NF had had its entire manufacturing process such as production equipment, system, manpower, etc. proven since February, 2009, won the export order, and obtained a supplier certificate from WEC, LLC in the U.S. in December, 2010.