
POSCO E&C is Building the Future of South Korea's Nuclear Power Generation
In July 2024, POSCO E&C officially commenced the conceptual and basic design services for projects including the Balance of Plant (BOP) design for the 4th Generation Small Modular Reactor (SMR) (High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor, HTGR), commissioned by the Nuclear Energy Research Division of the National Research Foundation of Korea, embarking on securing next-generation nuclear technology. This project is a 90MWth High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) development program scheduled to run until December 2027, with POSCO E&C taking full responsibility for the BOP design and project management.
This project features a stable business structure with the joint participation of SK Ecoplant and Lotte Chemical for commercialization and end-use demand. Notably, POSCO E&C has secured a 55% stake within the private-led business structure, solidifying its position as a business leader rather than a mere participant. Through this, the company is establishing a significant turning point in expanding nuclear energy—previously limited to power generation—into non-power generation areas such as industrial process heat and hydrogen production.
This project is evaluated as virtually the optimal pathway for the transition to HyREX (Hydrogen Reduction Steelmaking) and is expected to play a core role in the group’s future cost competitiveness and carbon neutrality roadmap. Moving forward, POSCO E&C will establish itself as a leading company contributing to South Korea’s sustainable energy security and the realization of future carbon neutrality based on its next-generation nuclear technology and project management capabilities.