South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction has excavated a full-scale hole for used nuclear fuel disposal in bedrock, testing equipment designed to be retrieved and reused across multiple excavations.
The demonstration took place in an underground research tunnel at the company’s research site, as part of a government-funded project led by the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD).
Hyundai E&C used real-time AI analysis to guide excavation and LiDAR mapping to check the completed hole.
The work supports the development of construction technologies for underground disposal facilities as South Korea’s existing nuclear plant storage sites approach capacity.
A cutterhead built for repeated excavation
The equipment measures about 5.7 feet in diameter and 18.7 feet long. Hyundai E&C developed it to meet deposition hole specifications and construction conditions for the Korea Advanced Disposal System, known as KORADIS.
That system is tailored to South Korea’s geological environment and technical requirements. Deposition holes form part of the infrastructure needed to place used nuclear fuel underground.
A central feature of the equipment is its foldable cutterhead.
After excavation, the cutting assembly folds inward, allowing the machine to be safely removed and used again. This addresses the need to excavate multiple deposition holes repeatedly within a disposal facility.
“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.
AI guides excavation, LiDAR checks quality
During the demonstration, AI analyzed excavation data in real time to assess ground conditions. The findings supported adjustments to excavation based on the rock assessment and equipment performance.
Once excavation was complete, LiDAR-based digital mapping helped verify construction quality and assess whether the deposition hole was suitable.
Hyundai E&C is the only construction company participating in the KORAD-led project. Its work runs through the HMG Construction Technology Research Institute, the integrated research and development organization of Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Engineering.
The research extends beyond excavation machinery. The company is developing concrete and grout intended to preserve the long-term performance of engineered barriers and control groundwater inflow.
It is also advancing a rock classification system suited to South Korea’s geology, alongside digital technologies for rock assessment and monitoring.
Storage pressure drives disposal research
Used nuclear fuel in South Korea remains stored at individual nuclear power plant sites while a centralized interim storage facility is pending. Many of those on-site facilities are nearing full capacity.
According to the supplied report, legislation passed in February 2025 sets timelines for interim storage facilities by 2050 and permanent disposal facilities by 2060.
Deep geological repositories use engineered underground vaults and tunnels in bedrock to isolate higher-activity radioactive waste from the surface environment.
“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,” an official said.
The demonstration marks a step toward developing the construction technologies needed for South Korea’s permanent used nuclear fuel disposal facilities.