President Kim Dong-cheol of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) is devoting himself to winning a nuclear reactor construction order from the United Kingdom on the occasion of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit to the country.
KEPCO said on Nov. 23 President Kim toured a new nuclear power site in Wylfa at the invitation of Virginia Crosbie, a conservative member of parliament, and confirmed the site’s conditions and neighborhood residents’ acceptance of the nuclear power initiative on Nov. 20.
The Wylfa site is evaluated to be UK’s optimal site for building a large-sized nuclear power plant, and the area where a nuclear power unit was once operated has outstanding infrastructure and a majority of neighborhood residents favor nuclear power.
The following day, President Kim held a session to build a partnership between Korean and UK nuclear power circles.
During the event, KEPCO promoted its capability to promote nuclear power projects and introduced strengths of the Korean nuclear power technology.
The event served as an opportunity to share outcomes of the operation of the Korean nuclear power technology APR1400, in service in Korea and abroad. About 100 people from both sides participated in the event.
In particular, KEPCO stressed that the implementation of the Barakah Nuclear Power Project, being done by KEPCO is “on time and on budget,” the world’s first such case.
The participants from the UK side included MPs, the undersecretary of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, government and nuclear industry officials while among Korean counterparts were officials from KEPCO, KEPCO E&C, KEPCO KPS, and KEPCO NF.
British participants expressed hope that KEPCO’s push for implementing UK’s new nuclear power plant will serve as an opportunity for nuclear power industry circles of both countries to promote shared growth, KEPCO said.
KEPCO also participated in the UK-Korea Business Forum as a member of an economic delegation, who accompanied President Yoon on Nov. 22.
KEPCO attended a nuclear power forum in Wales and struck an MOU with Mactech Energy to ramp up bilateral collaboration.
With the signing of the deal, KEPCO is expected to promote shared growth with the community of the Wales area in the case a new nuclear power plant is built in the Wylfa site in which KEPCO is interested and maximize the utilization of the British nuclear power supply network.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Bang Moon-kyu, KEPCO President Kim Dong-cheol and Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for Trade and Business pose for a photo after they held a signing ceremony at the UK-Korea Business Forum in London on Nov. 22. (Photos: KEPCO)
Following the business forum, KEPCO President Kim met with Secretary Claire Coutinho of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for Trade and Business.
During the meeting, KEPCO President Kim expressed its intent to participate in UK’s new nuclear power project and asked for British side’s cooperation and support in the case of the implementation of the project.
Secretary Coutinho said she knew well about KEPCO’s outstanding capabilities and she expected KEPCO to participate in the British nuclear power project.
Secretary Badenoch said she welcome KEPCO’s entry into UK’s nuclear power industry and UK will not spare efforts to offer full support to that.
President Kim said, “Korea and UK, celebrating the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year, have further matured in cooperation in the energy sector, including nuclear power on the occasion of President Yoon’s state visit.”
If KEPCO enters the UK, which is strongly pushing ahead with a policy of expanding nuclear power, the nation will make a feat of exporting the Korean nuclear power plant to the UK, which operated the world’s first commercial nuclear power plant in the 1950s, Kim said.
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