South Korea’s largest steelmaker POSCO on Monday said it has developed a super corrosion-resistant stainless steel product that can be used to make steam condensers for nuclear power plants.

The new product can be used to make special pipes for reactors, through which sea water flows to cool hot steam generated from the nuclear reactor. The steam generated by the reactor turns turbines that makes electric power.

The steelmaker said the material, developed in cooperation with a research team led by professor Park Yong-soo at Yonsei University, marks the first time that a stainless steel product that can be used to build a turbine condenser has been made in the country.

Despite being one of the largest users of nuclear power, South Korea in the past imported corrosion-resistant stainless steel from Europe and Japan to meet its needs.

It said the stainless steel, which took 2 years to develop, will allow the country to make its own turbine condensers.

POSCO said that the first application for the condenser made with its stainless steel will be the No. 4 reactor being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in the United Arab Emirates.

“The latest breakthrough can make it possible for South Korean nuclear power plants not to have to import this material from abroad as well as meet export needs,” the steelmaker said in a press release. (Yonhap)