Canadian organizations look to Korean opportunities
Two Canadian organizations are aiming to promote and facilitate increased exchanges between the Korean nuclear power industry and Canadian nuclear suppliers under a newly signed strategic partnership agreement.
The agreement between the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCI) and the Canada Korea Business Council (CKBC) will see them host joint summits, forums and seminars on important topics related to the nuclear industries of both countries, as well as cooperating in future trade and investment missions. The first seminar under the new partnership, on Canada-Korea business opportunities, is to take place on 23 September.
The Canadian and Korean nuclear industries' long-standing relationship dates back more than 30 years, since the construction of four Canadian-designed Candu units at Wolsong, all of which are in operation. Canadian companies have supported the ongoing maintenance of the Wolsong units, including a major refurbishment of Wolsong 1 completed in 2013. Korea itself is now a major nuclear energy country and is exporting its own nuclear technology, with Korean designed reactors under construction in the United Arab Emirates.
OCI president and CEO Ron Oberth said that, while Canada’s nuclear heritage was based on Candu heavy water reactor technology, he believed the new strategic partnership with the CKBC would help Canadian nuclear suppliers find opportunities to collaborate with Korean nuclear companies on pressurized water reactor and small modular reactor projects in Korea and in other countries. "I am optimistic that this OCI-CKBC partnership will help us expand the strong relationship that OCI formed with the Korea Atomic Industry Forum (KAIF) during the Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference held in Vancouver in August of 2014 and then strengthened during the OCI-led Nuclear Trade Mission to Korea in April of 2015," he told World Nuclear News.
The OCI represents more than 190 Canadian companies that supply services and equipment to Candu nuclear power plants both in Canada and elsewhere. The CKBC is a business, trade and investment facilitator for Canadian companies doing business with South Korea.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
