KAERI
🇰🇷 KR · Active
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) is South Korea's government nuclear research institute, established in 1959 and based in Daejeon. It designed, built and operates HANARO, a 30 MW multipurpose research reactor in Daejeon that first went critical in 1995, and developed SMART, a 107 MWe integral pressurised water reactor for electricity and seawater desalination, with Saudi Arabia's K.A.CARE. It is also working on i-SMR, a boron-free integral pressurised water reactor of 170 MWe per module. Neither SMART nor i-SMR has been built.
- Sector
- Fission
- Technology
- Pressurised water reactor
- Role
- Research institute, Reactor developer, Operator
It is the operator of record for 4 reactors, 1 of them operating.
Terms
- Pressurised water reactor
- Ordinary (light) water kept under high pressure so it heats without boiling, transferring heat to a separate steam loop; the water is both coolant and moderator. Fuel is low-enriched uranium oxide pellets in zirconium-alloy rods. The most common reactor type in service worldwide.
Designs
| Design | Developer | Approach | Electrical output per unit | Size class | Licensing stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i-SMR innovative SMR | Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power with KAERI | Pressurised water reactor | 170 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
| SMART System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor, SMART100 | KAERI | Pressurised water reactor | 107 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
Design values
| Device | Parameter | Value | Unit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HANARO | Thermal capacity (rated) | 30 | MW | design valueclaimed |
| KJRR | Thermal capacity (rated) | 15 | MW | design valueplanned |
| KRR-1 | Thermal capacity (rated) | 0.25 | MW | design valueclaimed |
| KRR-2 | Thermal capacity (rated) | 2 | MW | design valueclaimed |