Latest news with #Kori-1
Korea Herald
06-08-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
S. Korea to shut down Kori-4 nuclear reactor; decision on lifespan extension pending
South Korea is set to terminate the operation of the Kori-4 nuclear reactor Wednesday as it has reached the end of its lifespan, its operator said. The No. 4 reactor at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, located in Busan, about 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, will be shut down at 2 p.m., according to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. The 950,000-kilowatt reactor began commercial operations in November 1985. Although the reactor continues to function without any issues due to facility upgrades, it is being suspended in accordance with its originally designated 40-year design lifespan. The government is currently considering allowing reactors that have reached the end of their design lifespan to continue operating for an additional 10 years, as permitted by the law. Kori-4 is undergoing the same approval process as Kori-3, which was also terminated last September. KHNP submitted an application to the nuclear watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, to modify operations for continued use, and the review is currently in progress. "Considering the usual time required for the review process, a decision on No. 2 is expected in the second half of this year, while the results for No. 3 and No. 4 will likely be announced sometime next year," an industry official said. Kori-1, which began operation in 1978 with a design lifespan of 30 years, operated for nearly 40 years following an extension. In 2017, KHNP decided to permanently shut it down and applied for decommissioning approval in 2021. (Yonhap)
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
South Korea nuclear watchdog approves first dismantlement of nuclear power plant
FILE PHOTO: The Kori No. 1 reactor (R) and No. 2 reactor of state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) are seen in Ulsan, about 410 km (255 miles) southeast of Seoul, September 3, 2013. Picture taken September 3, 2013. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won/File Photo SEOUL - South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission approved on Thursday the first dismantlement of a nuclear power plant in the country, the Kori-1, which was permanently shut down in 2017 after 39 years of operation, it said in a statement. The panel authorised a plan by the nuclear operator Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) to take down the plant at a cost of 1.1 trillion won ($810 million) over 12 years that would include the handling of approximately 170,000 tonnes of nuclear waste, it said. The decision marks the first such operation by the country, the world's fifth-largest producer of nuclear energy according to the International Atomic Energy Agency and a major global builder of atomic power plants, to decommission a nuclear plant. The nuclear safety commission said it concluded the plan submitted by KHNP met the technical requirements under the country's nuclear safety management laws. Experts have said the dismantlement operation could help South Korea enter the global nuclear decommissioning market, which is now dominated by the United States with countries such as Japan and Germany having also entered the race. South Korea generated 31.7% of its electric power from nuclear power stations in 2024, according to government data. It now operates 26 power plants and the Kori-1 power plant was the first to be commissioned for commercial operation in 1978. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
