The world’s first SMR Ship Research Institute has been opened by South Korea’s Mokpo National University aiming to become a global hub for SMR ship research and education. The launch ceremony was attended by more than 100 people, including the President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Joo-ho Hwang; the Director of the Ship & Offshore Plant Research Institute (SOPRI), Ki-yong Hong; and the Acting President) of Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KIET), Jin-ho Park.
Also present were representatives of global shipyards such as Samsung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho, and HD Hyundai Mipo as well as members of international classification societies including the American Bureau of Shipping, Det Norske Veritas, Lloyd’s Register, and Korean Register of Shipping, in addition to local governments, and representatives and related parties from shipbuilding and marine industry companies and organisations.
Mokpo National University noted that, from 2050, all ships will be required to use only carbon-free fuels, in accordance with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) convention under the UN. “With such strong marine environmental regulations, ships that use carbon-free fuels and utilise advanced new technologies are in demand, and small modular reactor (SMR) ship technology in particular is attracting attention as a core technology for the future marine industry.”
The university said it had established the SMR Ship Research Institute in order to proactively respond to these demands “to build a cooperative network with domestic and international organisations and companies, including universities, research institutes, large shipbuilders, and international classification societies, and to conduct full-scale research.”
In the future, the research centre will work closely with KHNP, KIET, Samsung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho, HD Hyundai Mipo, SOPRI, and international shipping companies to develop and commercialise SMR ship technology and train professional manpower. In his welcoming speech Mokpo National University President Song Ha-cheol said: “We plan to develop and operate a world-class curriculum …. We will secure future eco-friendly ship technology through the SMR Ship Research Institute and strive to develop into a global hub for SMR ship research and education.”
At the SMR Ship Forum, which constitutes the second part of the event, several presentations were made by experts related to SMR ship technology. In the keynote lecture, KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho gave a presentation on the topic of SMR, an energy innovation solution for the future of humanity’, “Our country, where competition to secure energy resources is intensifying and dependence on foreign countries is intensifying, is facing threats to energy security,” he said. “Innovative energy supply methods are needed to actively respond to the changing global energy market environment. SMR can play an important role in accelerating carbon neutrality, securing economic feasibility, and securing future growth engines.”
Kang Hee-jin from SOPRI gave a presentation on the topic of 2050 NET ZERO eco-friendly ship technology. “In order to localise SMR propulsion ships, localisation technology for the electric propulsion system that converts electricity generated from nuclear power into propulsion is essential,” he noted. Song Chang-yong, Director of the new SMR Ship Research Institute, who hosted the forum, said, “The opening ceremony and forum of the SMR Ship Research Institute demonstrate our university’s strong will to take a leap forward in the future maritime industry.” He added: “We will open and strive to become a cradle for nurturing global talent in SMR ship research.”
