{"id":2200056,"date":"2023-02-14T10:09:36","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T10:09:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2200056"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:09:45","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:09:45","slug":"rok-firms-seek-nuclear-powered-ships-but-tech-poses-risks-to-alliance-with-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/02\/rok-firms-seek-nuclear-powered-ships-but-tech-poses-risks-to-alliance-with-us\/","title":{"rendered":"ROK firms seek nuclear-powered ships. But tech poses risks to alliance with US"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea has come under heavy pressure to reduce carbon emissions as it relies <\/span>primarily<\/span><\/a> on shipping for its international trade. To address the issue, Seoul <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> the 2030 Green Ship-K Promotion Strategy in 2020 and passed the <\/span>Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Act<\/span><\/a> in Sept. 2021, which mandates that the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.<\/span><\/p>\n Part of the Yoon administration\u2019s strategy to reduce carbon emissions has been to increase the country\u2019s reliance on <\/span>nuclear energy<\/span><\/a>. ROK shipping firms have also embraced the technology, aiming to maintain their status as industry leaders for the foreseeable future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, developing nuclear reactors for large ships also opens the door for military applications, which could complicate the ROK-U.S. alliance at a time when Seoul has openly floated the possibility of developing nuclear weapons.<\/span><\/p>\n MINIATURIZED REACTORS<\/b><\/p>\n Nine South Korean organizations, including local governments, shipbuilders and research institutes, <\/span>signed<\/span><\/a> a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Feb. 9 to cooperate on developing ships powered by small modular reactors (SMR) and molten salt reactors (MSRs) suitable for use in ships.<\/span><\/p>\n SMRs are <\/span>advanced nuclear reactors<\/span><\/a> that have about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. Meanwhile, MSRs are a class of nuclear fission reactors in which a molten salt mixture serves as the primary nuclear reactor coolant and\/or the fuel, which is considered <\/span>safer<\/span><\/a> than the technology used in conventional reactors.<\/span><\/p>\n Though not one of the nine signatories, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> last month that it had completed the conceptual design for a compact molten salt reactor (CMSR) power barge, a floating nuclear power plant based on compact MSRs. SHI plans to commercialize the CMSR power barge by 2028.<\/span><\/p>\n ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS<\/b><\/p>\n Developing a functional SMR could have various benefits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The most obvious advantage would be that the technology would reduce costs. Although initial investment and research will be capital-intensive, a working prototype will help to pay for itself as SMR-powered ships would not require frequent refueling like those running on diesel engines.<\/span><\/p>\n Power plants based on SMRs may require refueling only <\/span>once every three to seven years<\/span><\/a>, while some SMRs are designed to operate for up to 30 years without refueling.<\/span><\/p>\n Another related and vital benefit is that such ships are arguably better for the environment. Unlike diesel engines, which power <\/span>nearly all cargo ships<\/span><\/a>, SMRs do not emit carbon dioxide, making them one of the most effective ways to respond to climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo emphasized those benefits at the meeting on Feb. 9.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNuclear power is the best energy source for responding to climate change and realizing carbon neutrality because there is no carbon emission during electricity production,\u201d he said, stating that his province will lead a \u201cnuclear power renaissance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, a working MSR would go a long way toward assuaging fears about possible accidents. Theoretically, an MSR\u2019s design would allow the molten salt fuel mixture to drain from the core to a containment vessel if problems arise. Once in the containment vessel, the fuel mixture will solidify, preventing serious accidents like the uncontrolled meltdowns in the <\/span>Fukushima nuclear disaster<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n