South Korea Grants First New Nuclear Project Since Fake Certifications

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The South Korean government has approved its first new nuclear power project since shutting several reactors for security reasons after fake documentation of components was uncovered. The fallout from Japan's Fukushima disaster also played a part in the shutdowns.

Two new, 1,400-megawatt (MW) reactors will be built at the Kori Nuclear Power Complex near the southeastern city of Busan, which is 330 kilometers (205 miles) from the capital, Seoul. Total investment in the project will be about $7 billion.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) said that the installation of the APR-1400 advanced power reactors (APR 1400s) were scheduled for completion by December 2020.

A few weeks before the new project launch, MOTIE announced a policy change to reduce the country's reliance on nuclear. Previously, MOTIE planned for nuclear power to supply 41% of the nation's supply needs by 2035. That number was moved down to 29%.

The latest reactor shutdown occurred last week, when operations at the 1,000-MW reactor Unit 5 were halted following a warning signal. The reactor also was shut down in July 2013, due to what Korea Hydro &Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) called a "human error."

The Hanul shutdown increased the number of closed reactors to four, increasing the risk of power shortages through winter. Two reactors were shut down for scheduled maintenance, and one is awaiting an extension of its license after its 30-year lifespan expired in November 2012, according to state-owned Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

The approval of the new project at the Kori Nuclear Power Complex will give some encouragement to the country's nuclear power industry, which is on an export drive to global markets and is competing with established rivals from France, the U.S. and Russia.

South Korea ranks fifth globally in nuclear power, and has 23 reactors operated through KEPCO, which provide more than 30% of the country's total electricity consumption. Plans are to build a further 11 by 2024.

For related information, see October 18, 2013, article - South Korea Looks to Energy Storage Systems to Beat Power Shortfalls, and October 4, 2013, article - South Korea Selects Lloyd's Register to Review Possible Forged Nuclear Certificates.

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