Hyundai E&C completes full-scale demonstration of spent nuclear fuel disposal hole excavation equipment
Hyundai E&C says it has become the first Korean builder to develop dedicated excavation equipment for spent nuclear fuel deposition holes and has verified it by boring a full-scale hole in bedrock.
- 1.75 meters
- 5.7 meters
What Happened
Hyundai E&C has completed the development and demonstration of dedicated rock excavation equipment for the deposition holes used at spent nuclear fuel disposal facilities, the first equipment of its kind developed by a Korean builder. The company announced the milestone on Friday, the 2nd, saying it had successfully carried out excavation at the scale of an actual deposition hole in bedrock at its research demonstration site. The work is part of a government-funded R&D project on spent nuclear fuel management led by the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD), and Hyundai E&C is the only construction company participating. Development runs through the HMG Construction Technology Research Institute, the integrated R&D organization of Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Engineering, which is developing core disposal facility technologies including excavation equipment and methods as well as rock monitoring.
Spent nuclear fuel is nuclear fuel that has been removed from a nuclear power plant after being used as fuel, and because it emits high levels of radiation and heat over a long period, technologies for its safe management and disposal are crucial. Disposal facilities are constructed deep within underground bedrock, where the construction quality of the deposition holes, where containers holding spent nuclear fuel are ultimately placed, determines the long-term safety of the facility. If cracks or damage occur in the surrounding bedrock during excavation, pathways for groundwater flow may form, so precision construction techniques that minimize excavation-induced damage are required.
- The dedicated deposition hole excavation equipment measures 1.75 meters in diameter and 5.7 meters in length.
- It is designed to meet the deposition hole specifications and construction conditions required by the Korea Advanced Disposal System (KORADIS).
- A foldable cutterhead lets the equipment be safely retrieved and reused once excavation is complete, addressing the need to excavate multiple deposition holes repeatedly at a disposal facility.
- Hyundai E&C verified the equipment's performance and constructability through full-scale deposition hole excavation in rock inside an underground research tunnel.
- During the demonstration, AI analyzed excavation data in real time to assess ground conditions, and excavation was optimized based on those results and equipment performance.
- After excavation, LiDAR-based digital mapping was used to verify construction quality and assess the suitability of the deposition hole.
Hyundai E&C is expanding its research beyond excavation technologies to construction materials and rock engineering to ensure the long-term safety of disposal facilities. It is developing concrete and grout that secure the long-term performance of engineered barriers and control groundwater inflow, and it is advancing a rock classification system tailored to Korea's geological characteristics along with digital rock assessment and monitoring technologies. The company says it aims to secure the full range of core technologies required for disposal facility construction.
“This achievement is particularly significant because Hyundai E&C has become the first Korean builder to develop dedicated deposition hole excavation equipment and verify its performance and constructability through actual rock excavation. By strengthening our core capabilities across the entire nuclear lifecycle, from nuclear power plant construction and decommissioning to spent nuclear fuel disposal, we will continue to solidify Hyundai E&C's position as a game changer in the global nuclear industry.”
Why this matters
Spent nuclear fuel stays radioactive and hot for a very long time, and the quality of the holes bored into deep bedrock decides how safe a disposal facility is over the long term. By showing it can excavate those holes while limiting damage to the surrounding rock, Hyundai E&C is building specialized construction know-how for the nuclear waste sector. It is the only construction company taking part in the KORAD-led, government-funded R&D project.
Terms in This Story
- Spent nuclear fuel
- Nuclear fuel that has been removed from a nuclear power plant after being used as fuel; it remains highly radioactive and hot for a long time.
- Deposition hole
- A borehole excavated in deep underground bedrock where containers holding spent nuclear fuel are ultimately placed.
- Cutterhead
- The rotating cutting assembly at the working end of excavation equipment that bores into rock.
- Engineered barriers
- Man-made components of a disposal facility designed to contain waste and limit the movement of groundwater.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.