The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has exported its self-developed technology for manufacturing nuclear fuel for molten salt reactors (MSRs) to a Danish company.
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced on the 4th that it signed an export contract worth approximately 3 billion won (2.262 million dollars) with the Danish nuclear energy company 'Saltfoss' for MSR nuclear fuel manufacturing and material corrosion evaluation technology.
MSRs are next-generation reactors that use 'molten salt,' which is salt such as sodium chloride melted at high temperatures.
Under this contract, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute will perform the following tasks over the next two years targeting Saltfoss's fluoride-based MSR under development: △pre-treatment of fluoride molten salt; △manufacturing and characterization evaluation of nuclear fuel; △construction and operation of a natural circulation molten salt test loop; and △evaluation of corrosion characteristics of candidate reactor structural materials.
However, the ownership of existing MSR core technologies or intellectual property (IP) held by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute will not be transferred. The institute will provide research and development services by utilizing its own technology and research infrastructure.
Regarding this technology, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute stated that it is "a result combining research achievements secured through the Ministry of Science and ICT's 'Molten Salt Reactor Core Technology Development Project' with the institute's technical capabilities." It explained that while developing 'pyroprocessing' technology for recycling spent nuclear fuel, the institute accumulated high-temperature molten salt technologies used in the process, thereby securing core original technologies such as MSR nuclear fuel manufacturing and refining, and molten salt chemistry and physical property evaluation.
Im In-cheol, acting director, said, "This is a meaningful achievement in which Korea's MSR core technology has been recognized for its technical value by overseas private companies," and added, "We will expand the development of key technologies and international cooperation to ensure our technology gains competitiveness in the next-generation MSR market, which will be utilized both on land and at sea, and to enable entry into the global market."
in TECH
