Kazakhstan, Korea seek closer cooperation
The signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy between state-run South Korean and Kazakh corporations came as the countries' presidents called for greater collaboration in uranium mining and reactor development.
The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy between state-run South Korean and Kazakh corporations came as the countries' presidents called for greater collaboration in uranium mining and reactor development.
KazAtomProm, Kazakhstan's nuclear energy company, announced that it had signed a MoU on cooperation with Korea Electric Power Corp (Kepco) and Korea Resources Corp (Kores). The document, it said, "lays ground for mutually beneficial cooperation between the parties in the peaceful use of atomic energy and further development of the nuclear power industry in both nations."
The MoU was signed on 22 April by KazAtomProm chairman Vladimir Shkolnik, Kepco president and CEO Kim Ssang-Soo, and Kores president and CEO Kim Shin-Jong.
In addition, KazAtomProm and Kores signed a separate MoU on cooperation in joint research, mineral exploration and mining operations in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has been supplying uranium to South Korea since 2005, covering nearly one-quarter of fuel demand for South Korea's nuclear power reactors, according to KazAtomProm. Twenty reactors currently provide almost 40% of South Korea's electricity.
 |
| The Kazakh and Korean presidents agree to further nuclear cooperation (Image: Office of the President of South Korea) |
The signing of the MoU came as Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Korean president Lee Myung-bak during a three-day visit to Korea. During their meeting, the presidents discussed issues including bilateral cooperation in the energy and resources sectors. They discussed the possibility of joint projects to mine uranium and develop nuclear reactors.
According to a statement from Korea's presidential office, Nazabayev and Lee agreed to "proactively seek out how to work together on the joint exploration of uranium mines and joint research on the System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART), a Korea-developed model of small- and mid-sized nuclear reactors."
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
.jpg)
