Hyundai E&C drills Korea's first full-scale nuclear waste disposal hole

Hyundai Engineering & Construction has excavated a full-scale deposition hole for spent nuclear fuel in bedrock, the first such demonstration by a Korean builder. The 5.7-foot-diameter, 18.7-foot-long machine uses a foldable cutterhead that retracts for retrieval and reuse. The KORAD-led project used real-time AI analysis and LiDAR mapping to guide and verify the excavation.

• Machine measures about 5.7 ft in diameter and 18.7 ft long
• Foldable cutterhead retracts so the rig can be removed and reused
• AI analyzed excavation data in real time to guide drilling
• 2025 law sets interim storage by 2050 and permanent disposal by 2060