South Korea Selects Lloyd's Register to Review Possible Forged Nuclear Certificates

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--South Korea has been grappling with the shutdown of units in its nuclear power fleet following the discovery of forged documents and certifications relating to reactors.

The South Korean government has selected Lloyd's Register (London, England) to review the safety certificates of nuclear reactors. Examination of quality and safety certificates will continue for the next two years, beginning in the middle of this month. Lloyd's is primarily known as a shipping insurer and ship classifier, but also advises on power generation operations.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company Limited operates all of the country's nuclear reactors and will work in conjunction with Lloyd's Register to determine whether the local certification documents are forgeries. The government will notify the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission if forged certificates are found.

Out of the 23 reactors in the national fleet, six remain offline. Three reactors were idled to allow for the replacement of cables supplied under forged certificates. About 33% of South Korea's power supply comes from nuclear power. The country has avoided blackouts by imposing nationwide restrictions on power usage. This energy-saving campaign cut peak consumption by 6,000 megawatts.

For related information, see July 22, 2013, article - South Korea Gives Go-Ahead on Re-Start of Two Nuclear Reactors.

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