Hyundai Develops Equipment for Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal

Handling high-level nuclear waste is one of the toughest challenges in modern energy. Once spent fuel leaves a nuclear power plant, it stays hot and radioactive for decades. The safest solution is burying it deep underground in solid rock. If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. Finding the perfect underground sites for burying waste is not even remotely easy.

If digging equipment cracks the surrounding rock, groundwater can leak in and cause engineering, safety, and environmental problems.

Hyundai E&C developed a specialized tool to drill precise storage holes without damaging the bedrock. The company finished testing it at an underground research tunnel, successfully excavating a full-sized hole in actual rock.

“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.

The Right Tools to Dispose of Spent Nuclear Fuel

The new drilling machine measures 5.74 feet wide by 18.70 feet long, built specifically to meet the standards of the Korea Advanced Disposal System.

One of its rather clever features is a foldable cutterhead. Digging nuclear waste sites requires drilling many holes, one after another. Once a hole is finished, the cutterhead folds up so workers can pull the machine out safely and use it again.

During the test, artificial intelligence analyzed digging data in real time to check rock conditions and adjust how the machine worked. After the hole was cut, LiDAR sensors scanned the space to create a digital map, double-checking the build quality.

Hyundai E&C worked on the project alongside the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency. Beyond the drill, the company is developing special concrete and grout to block groundwater flow. It is also building a rock classification system to fit South Korea’s specific geology.

“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,” the official added.