The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on May 18 that South Korea's 'nuclear decommissioning' standard, the first of its kind, has received approval as a new work item standard (NP) from nine member countries, including the United States, China, and Japan, at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in June 2023. This approval follows over three years of discussions within the Technical Committee 85 (Nuclear).
The standard encompasses general requirements applicable throughout the entire nuclear decommissioning process, from defining key terms to planning, execution, and management. South Korea aims to finalize the international standard (IS) by December 2027, having begun to gather input from various countries.
The global nuclear decommissioning market is on the rise, with industry experts predicting that over 400 to 600 reactors worldwide will enter the decommissioning phase by 2050. The market size is estimated to reach approximately 500 trillion won.
However, only a few countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, and France, have commercial nuclear decommissioning experience, indicating a high barrier to entry due to the complexities involved in handling radioactive waste, contamination removal, radiation safety management, and site restoration.
Should South Korea's proposed decommissioning procedures and technologies be recognized as global standards, it could enhance the influence of the Korean model in the international nuclear decommissioning market. The National Standards Agency plans to sequentially develop nine international standards addressing detailed technologies related to radioactive contamination removal and disposal, waste management, and site restoration.
Notably, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will participate in this standardization effort to ensure alignment with international nuclear safety standards. This collaboration is expected to position South Korea's leadership in establishing international standards that could serve as practical benchmarks for the global nuclear decommissioning industry.
Kim Dae-ja, head of the National Standards Agency, stated, "The establishment of this standard marks a significant advancement for our country in leading international standards in the nuclear decommissioning field. We will also take the lead in establishing de facto standards through organizations like ISO and ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) to support the export competitiveness of K-nuclear."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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