EPRI is working with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to capture lessons learned from South Korea’s ambitious new plant deployment program, which has achieved significant reductions in construction schedules over the past 25 years.

A core element of the value EPRI provides its collaborative members is the ability to capture best practices from around the world; nuclear plant owners can then incorporate these practices into their own business practices as appropriate. The continuous nuclear plant construction experience acquired by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) over the past 25-plus years represents a rich environment for global knowledge sharing.

Since initiating its nuclear power plant standardization program in 1984, KHNP has brought more than 20 reactors on-line and has been able to reduce construction schedules with each new unit. For its six Optimized Power Reactor 1000 units, construction schedules were reduced by 12 months (19%) from the first unit to the sixth; and for the newer Advanced Power Reactor 1400 units, KHNP has achieved a five-month (9%) schedule reduction over the first three units. This success is the result of many factors, including improved design constructability, rigorous construction schedule management, and optimization of worker skill sets to newer reactor designs.

EPRI’s Advanced Nuclear Technology Program is working with KHNP to capture and transfer this knowledge to the global nuclear industry. The Construction Technology Experience Project aims to document the experiences from KHNP’s construction projects, providing insight into the techniques and advanced construction processes used, KHNP’s timely ability to incorporate lessons learned, and the processes used to continuously optimize construction schedules for future work. These insights will be gathered from the design phase through to manufacturing and on-site construction.

For more information, contact Letitia Midmore at 650.855.8576 or lmidmore@epri.com.