[Edaily Reporter Park Jung-su] With South Korea securing core technologies for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), it appears poised to take the lead in the global fusion energy sector, drawing attention to EM Korea (095190). EM Korea’s development and supply of superconducting neutrons to the National Fusion Research Institute is particularly highlighted.
According to industry sources on the 22nd, the Ministry of Science and ICT has reportedly supplied the vacuum vessel sector, a core component of ITER, which South Korea is responsible for manufacturing, for the construction and operation of ITER.
This achievement signifies South Korea’s acquisition of technologies across the entire process from design, manufacturing, to quality control of the vacuum vessel, a crucial part of a fusion reactor. It is envisioned as a foundation for securing global leadership in the key technologies necessary for constructing future fusion demonstration reactors.
The ITER vacuum vessel is an essential facility of the fusion reactor that creates a high vacuum environment to generate and sustain extremely high-temperature plasma.
Consequently, EM Korea is gaining attention for developing superconducting neutrons and supplying them to the National Fusion Research Institute.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure, EM Korea signed contracts with the National Fusion Research Institute for a total of 139 billion won (first-phase project) in April 2017 and 191 billion won (second-phase project) in January 2020 over eight years to supply the “international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) – artificial sun blanket shielding block.”
The ITER collaborative development project is the largest international joint fusion reactor experiment in history, involving seven countries, including South Korea, Japan, and Russia, aiming to solve human survival issues due to oil resource depletion and global warming.
The “International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Blanket Shield Block” secured by EM Korea weighs approximately 4.5 tons per module. It involves supplying 90 modules of neutron (blanket shield block) to protect key components such as the vacuum vessel and superconducting magnets. In January 2020, an additional 130 modules were secured.