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South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced it has employed equipment it has developed to excavate a full-scale deposition hole for used nuclear fuel disposal in the bedrock at its research demonstration site.
It said the achievement was made as part of a government-funded R&D project on used nuclear fuel management led by the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD). Hyundai E&C is the only construction company participating in the project. Through the HMG Construction Technology Research Institute - the integrated R&D organisation of Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Engineering - the company is developing the core technologies needed to construct disposal facilities, including excavation equipment and methods, as well as rock monitoring.
The dedicated deposition hole excavation equipment developed by Hyundai E&C measures 1.75 metres in diameter and 5.7 metres in length. It is designed to meet the deposition hole specifications and construction conditions required by the Korea Advanced Disposal System (KORADIS) - a disposal system for used nuclear fuel, developed to suit Korea's geological environment and technical conditions. In particular, the equipment features a "foldable cutterhead", which addresses the need to excavate multiple deposition holes repeatedly at a disposal facility. Once excavation is complete, the cutterhead is folded, so the equipment can be safely retrieved and reused.
Hyundai E&C verified the equipment's performance and constructability by carrying out full-scale deposition hole excavation in rock in an underground research tunnel. During the demonstration, excavation data was analysed in real time using AI to assess ground conditions so excavation could be optimised based on the analysis results and equipment performance. After excavation, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based digital mapping was used to verify construction quality and assess the suitability of the deposition hole, enhancing the reliability of the results.
The company said it is expanding its research beyond excavation technologies to include 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. It is also advancing a rock classification system tailored to Korea's geological characteristics, along with digital rock assessment and monitoring technologies. By doing so, Hyundai E&C 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," an official from the HMG Construction Technology Research Institute said. "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."
In South Korea, used fuel is currently stored on each nuclear power plant site pending construction of a centralised interim storage facility. However, many of the on-site storage facilities are nearing full capacity.
In February 2025, the National Assembly passed an act that stipulates the construction of interim storage facilities for high-level radioactive waste by 2050 and permanent disposal facilities by 2060. The High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act includes provisions for the construction and operation of interim storage facilities and permanent disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste, and support for hosting areas. It includes the establishment of the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee under the Prime Minister, the establishment of a procedure for selecting a high-level radioactive waste storage site, as well as measures for collecting opinions and supporting them in surrounding areas when installing storage facilities on nuclear power plant sites.
A deep geological repository comprises a network of highly-engineered underground vaults and tunnels built in bedrock to permanently dispose of higher activity radioactive waste so that no harmful levels of radiation ever reach the surface environment. Countries such as Finland, Sweden, France, the UK and the USA are pursuing this option.