KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Company (KNFC) is a public enterprise and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), founded in 1982. As South Korea’s sole domestic specialist in nuclear fuel, KNFC handles everything from reactor core design to fuel fabrication, safety analysis, and related engineering services
Key Businesses and Capabilities
- Nuclear Fuel Design & Fabrication
- Development and production of pressurized-water reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies, including fuel pellets and cladding tubes
- Licensing and manufacturing of Westinghouse-type (14×14, 16×16, 17×17) fuel assemblies for domestic PWR units inis.iaea.org
- Safety Analysis & Software
- Core design and thermal-hydraulic analysis using proprietary simulation codes
- Fuel performance modeling and reliability assessments to ensure safe operation under all conditions knfc.co.kr
- Fuel Services & Spent Fuel Management
- Inspection, repair, and reconditioning of irradiated fuel assemblies
- Technical consulting for spent-fuel handling, storage, and disposal strategies knfc.co.kr
- Research, Development & Export
- Ongoing R&D into next-generation fuels (e.g., accident-tolerant fuels and small modular reactor [SMR] applications)
- Export of nuclear fuel and services to overseas markets—most notably supplying Barakah units in the UAE since 2017 knfc.co.kren.wikipedia.org
Today, KNFC supplies fuel to all of South Korea’s operating reactors (both PWR and PHWR) and continues to expand its global footprint through technology exports and collaborative R&D.