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Mayor Park Heong-joon Welcomes Nation’s First Groundbreaking of SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center in Busan

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it will hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the “Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center Construction Project” tomorrow (the 9th) at 10:30 a.m. at the construction site in Mieum-dong 1529-5, Gangseo-gu.

Around 200 participants will attend the ceremony, including Kim Kyung-duk, Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs, National Assembly member Kim Do-eup, the Vice Chair of the Busan Metropolitan Council, city and district council members, the President of the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, presidents of local universities, and representatives of regional nuclear industry companies, marking the successful launch of the SMR manufacturing support center project.

Small Modular Reactor (SMR: Small Modular Reactor) refers to a small nuclear reactor with a power generation capacity of around 300 megawatts (MW)—about one-third to one-fifth the size of large nuclear power plants (1,000–1,500 MW)—whose components are manufactured in factories and assembled on site.

The ceremony will proceed in the following order: national ceremony, introduction of distinguished guests, progress report, commemorative remarks, congratulatory remarks, and a commemorative ceremony.

This project is one of three initiatives selected under the national competition for establishing SMR manufacturing support centers organized by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. Among the three selected local governments—Busan, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do—Busan is the first to begin construction.

In preparation for the intensifying global competition in SMR commercialization, the city completed a preliminary planning study in 2021 to assess the feasibility of establishing an SMR materials–components–equipment foundry project and subsequently carried out planning research in 2023 as part of proactive preparations.

As a result, Busan was finally selected in April 2024 through the ministry’s public competition and has since moved swiftly through the necessary procedures, becoming the first in the nation to begin construction and taking rapid steps toward securing a leading position in the emerging market.

The SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center will be built with a total project cost of 29.5 billion won on a site of approximately 4,000 square meters, with a two-story building above ground. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2027, and twelve core pieces of equipment will be installed by 2028.

The main components of the project include:
– The Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (lead institution): establishment of twelve innovative manufacturing systems and project operation
– Busan Techno Park: prototype production and technical support for companies facing engineering challenges
– Korea Maritime & Ocean University: development and operation of field-oriented talent training programs
– Korea Nuclear Equipment Association: development of a platform for expanding project outcomes

In particular, the center will provide shared access to equipment and manufacturing technology support for small and medium-sized companies producing auxiliary equipment by utilizing twelve advanced systems—including an electron beam welding system and a laser cladding system—to be installed by 2028.

The laser cladding system is a precision coating device that forms a high-performance alloy layer by melting and bonding metal powder or wire onto a component surface using a high-energy laser beam as the heat source.

While manufacturing technologies for major SMR components are largely being developed by large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises face practical challenges in independently securing related technologies and building the necessary equipment.

The center is therefore expected to play a significant role in enabling proactive responses to global SMR commercialization while supporting technological development and strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “By becoming the first in the nation to break ground on the SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center, Busan has secured a leading position in the next-generation nuclear equipment market.”

He added, “We will actively support the center so that it can enhance the technological competitiveness of regional nuclear companies, create high-quality jobs, and serve as a forward base for entering the global market.”

He further noted, “As the first nuclear power plant decommissioning project in Korea is being pursued in Busan, we will also spare no effort in promoting support programs—including workforce training and research and development (R&D)—that encompass the entire nuclear industry cycle, from manufacturing support to nuclear plant decommissioning.”