At a forum titled "Securing South Korea's SMR Competitiveness" held on June 30 at the National Assembly, Yoon Seong-won, executive director of Doosan Enerbility's Nuclear Business Group, stated, "SMRs can drive energy security, carbon neutrality, advanced manufacturing technology, regional balanced growth, and exports simultaneously. To seize the global market, institutional support at the national level is essential."
Yoon noted that domestic companies, including Doosan Enerbility, are collaborating with global developers such as NuScale, X-energy, and TerraPower to accumulate next-generation manufacturing technologies. However, he emphasized that maintaining industrial competitiveness requires policies that ensure a continuous production base.
He specifically called for allowing first-mover advantages for nuclear power equipment. Under current regulations, major equipment for nuclear power cannot be manufactured in advance until the government finalizes construction plans and permits.
Given that the process from reactor manufacturing to installation and commissioning takes at least 10 years, the nuclear industry argues that regulatory reforms are necessary to enable pre-manufacturing of nuclear equipment to meet the government's 2035 SMR commercialization target.
Yoon stated, "To achieve the government's 2035 SMR commercialization goal, manufacturing must begin by 2028. Large reactors also require a minimum of 10 years from production to installation and commissioning, and the modular production method for SMRs may extend factory production times further."
He stressed that allowing first-mover advantages is crucial for maintaining the domestic nuclear supply chain and manufacturing ecosystem. He expressed concern that a gap of about six years in workload between the large reactor scheduled for completion in 2037 and SMR projects could disrupt work for Doosan Enerbility and its 460 partner companies, leading to the loss of skilled labor and key manufacturing technologies.
Yoon reiterated, "Restoring a collapsed nuclear manufacturing ecosystem requires significant time and resources, so regulatory improvements must be made to allow pre-manufacturing for both large reactors and SMRs."
Participants from the nuclear industry and experts at the forum also agreed that regulatory improvements and policy support are necessary to secure SMR competitiveness. Kim Hong-beom, chairman of the Changwon Nuclear Industry Council, called for enhancements to the first-mover system and expanded financial and tax support, while Professor Kim Hyung-jae from Kyung Hee University highlighted the need for commercialization of SMRs and the introduction of power purchase agreement (PPA) systems.
In response, the government stated it would proceed with follow-up policies, including research and development support, commercialization assistance, and regulatory improvements, based on the SMR Special Act set to take effect in September.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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