Korean consortium exports nuclear reactor tech to US for 1st time

A consortium comprising a Korean research agency, a private company and a U.S. firm signed a contract with the University of Missouri on Thursday to export a design for the university’s next-generation research nuclear reactor, the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT said. This marks the first time Korea has exported nuclear power technology to the United States since it began learning about the technology from the U.S. in 1959. The consortium, consisting of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Hyundai Engineering and American nuclear technology solution provider MPR, has agreed to provide a design study package for the Next Generation Missouri University Research Reactor. The design package is the reactor project’s first phase. The contract signing follows the consortium’s selection as the preferred bidder last July in a competitive tender issued by the University of Missouri. The university is planning to build a research reactor with a thermal capacity of 20 megawatts. The ministry said the deal marks Korea’s first export of nuclear technology to the United Stat