Nuclear Power, Alternative
to Power Generation
- Korea gains international stature for nuclear power generation

Nuclear power has regained a global interest in terms of efficiency and environmental issues, particularly in the wake of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
"Nuclear power has been recognized as a rational alternative option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the power generation sector in an efficient manner", Kim Yong-hwan, director general of the Atomic Energy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said.
Energy ministers and delegates at a recent meeting, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Paris showed a renewed concern over nuclear power and predicted a renaissance of nuclear power, Kim said in an interview with NewsWorld. The Korean delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of Science and Technology Oh Myung and Director-General Kim, participated in the conference.
Carbon taxes will cause fossil fuels to completely lose a competitive edge, he said. "If my nation is subject to the negotiations and regulations of the Kyoto Protocol in the future, I think Korea will need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the power generation sector by capitalizing on nuclear power", Kim said.
Korea ranks sixth in the world in terms of nuclear power - it's a higher standing than any other areas of science and technology, Director-General Kim said. Korea is an active model country for nuclear power, being committed to transparency, as the country has accumulated field experiences ranging from design to construction and operation while advanced nuclear powerhouses like the United States have not built a single unit for over the past decade. In reality, only some countries - Korea, Japan, China and Finland - are now constructing nuclear power plants. Korea has grown into a nuclear powerhouse as Canada, once the supplier of heavy water reactor technology to Korea, has asked Korea for information on such areas as design, safety operation and manpower, he said.
Korea's percentage of utilizing nuclear power in the power generation sector stands at 90 percent in nuclear energy, but the non-power generation sector - like use of radioisotope in agriculture, medical and other industries - is 10 percent, too small when compared to 60 percent in the United States.
The following are some of the issues that were discussed during the interview.

Question: Chances are high that the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change will make nuclear power more competitive than fossil-fueled thermal power plants, blamed for the major sources of carbon dioxide that causes global warming with other greenhouse gasses. Could you comment on this prediction?
Answer: Korea is now not obligated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the wake of the Kyoto Protocol that went into effect last February. It appears, however, to be inevitable for Korea to be forced to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the long-term perspective in consideration of the fact that Korea ranks ninth in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and it is an OECD member country.
Sources of greenhouse gas emissions vary, but carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels account for more than 80 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Korea.
If and when Korea's greenhouse gas reduction is mandatory, it is predicted to have a great impact on the Korean economy, which depends on fossil fuels for a great portion of its energy needs and has a structure of energy-guzzling industries.
A projection indicates that greenhouse gas emissions will grow an average of 2.3 percent per annum by 2020. In particular, the estimate shows that greenhouse gas emissions of the power production sector will likely surge to as much as 35.9 percent of the total greenhouse emission amounts by 2020. It is considered an urgent task to reduce the carbon dioxide amounts of the power generation sector to cope with the issues surrounding climate change. Nuclear power has been rated as a rational alternative option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions of the power generation sector in an efficient manner. Assuming that all power generated by nuclear facilities during last year would have come from coal-fired power plants, it would bring about an additional 113 million tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 20 percent of the 2004 carbon dioxide emission level.
As a coal-fueled thermal power plant exhausts about 0.86 kg of carbon dioxide to produce 1kWh of electricity, the plant would shoulder an additional charge of 11 won per kWh, based on EU's carbon dioxide emission rights that were traded for 10 euros per ton of carbon dioxide in March this year. It means a 25 percent surge in the power generation unit cost, estimated at 44.6 won per kWh last December. At that time, the unit cost of nuclear power was 39.3 won per kWh.
If mynation is subject to the negotiations and regulations of the Kyoto Protocol in the future, I think Korea will need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the power generation sector by capitalizing on nuclear power.

Q: Could you give the details of the state of nuclear power and plans to construct nuclear power plants?
A: Currently, 19 nuclear power plants are in commercial operation, and the 20th facility is under test-operation. Site ground-leveling is under way for the planned Shinkori Nuclear Power Plant Units Nos. 1 and 2 after they obtained approval on the implementation of the project from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) last January. The Ministry of Science and Technology is reviewing the issuance of the licenses for constructing the two nuclear power units, and the ministry is expected to issue the licenses in time for the excavations for a project to build its main hall for housing the nuclear reactors. On top of the Shinkori Units Nos. 1 and 2, MOST is examining applications for permission to constructing four more nuclear power units - Shinkori Units Nos. 3 and 4 and Shinwolsong Units Nos. 1 and 2.
Under the second power supply master plan, unveiled by MOCIE last December, one or two more new nuclear power plant units will be constructed by 2015.

Q: What steps do you plan to take to ensure transparency in the nuclear power industry?
A: Nuclear power is not only a contributor to improving human beings' welfare, but also the sources of nuclear weapons that could bring about a huge disaster. International nuclear nonproliferation efforts have been reinforced in a bid to limit nuclear use to peaceful purposes. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), a landmark international treaty of enforcing restrictions on international nuclear proliferation, stipulates full-scope safeguards measures under the responsibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and restrictions on exports as well.
The NTP calls for limiting a diversion of nuclear products and materials being made according to agreements under bilateral nuclear treaties for peaceful uses, and a further transfer and re-transfer of the diverted products is required to gain prior approval from the supplier.
Korea is an active signatory of all nuclear nonproliferation regimes - the NPT and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) - in a bid to secure international confidence in our nuclear use for peaceful purposes. The country is striving to ensure transparency in its nuclear utilization and development by complying with the treaties and the guidelines.
Based on these efforts, Korea is trying to actively promote international cooperation on nuclear power. We'll make efforts to comply with international nuclear regulations in a sincere manner, while trying to advance our nuclear utilization and development.
Last year, Korea presented to the IAEA its first state report on the additional protocol for supplementing and strengthening the safeguards of the IAEA, after ratifying it.
International doubts were raised surrounding the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute's scientific basic researcher experiment on nuclear materials, but the IAEA said there were some procedural problems, but made it clear that Korea had no intention of nuclear proliferation.
Korea has abided by domestic and international regulations on nuclear nonproliferation, as the country declared a non-nuclearization policy for the Korean Peninsula in 1992 and it has joined the additional protocol of the IAEA in order to ensure transparency of nuclear power. As international suspicions were raised over KAERI's research, the Korean government declared four principles on the peaceful uses of nuclear power last Sept. 18.
The Korean government separated the Technology Center for Nuclear Control (TCNC) under the umbrella of the KAERI and established the National Nuclear Control Agency (NNCA), an independent watchdog designed to enhance the nation's nuclear transparency last October. Korea plans to build up the infrastructure for the peaceful uses of nuclear power by supplementing the legal and institutional apparatus on nuclear control and beefing up the duties for nuclear nonproliferation and international cooperation. Efforts will also be made to spread an awareness toward nuclear nonproliferation among the people working in the nuclear power sector.

Q: Would you specify on Korea's policies on the development of nuclear power technology?
A: At this juncture, when crude oil prices are on a constant rise and a new international order on the environment is about to be established, Korea, lacking in energy resources, stresses as its major state policy an expanded utilization of nuclear power, as the option with a higher rate of utilizing natural resources and environmentally-friendly nuclear ones, and thus it is more important to secure futuristic basic technologies on nuclear power. The government plans to revise by next October the master plan for promoting nuclear power so as to translate Korea's four principles on the peaceful uses of nuclear power into state policies.
Korea's joint bid to develop the Generation IV Nuclear Energy System (GIV) along with 10 other advanced nuclear countries is an example of the nation's efforts to expand the peaceful uses of nuclear power while ensuring nuclear transparency. The government is drawing up systematic development policies as the basic agreement on GIV was signed last Feb. 28.

Q: Would you elaborate on Korea's plan to make a foray into the foreign nuclear power market with its own version, Optimized Power Reactor 1000 (OPR 1000), or known as Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant (KSNP)?
A: Nuclear power is considered a high value-added, technology-intensive industry. Currently, Korea ranks sixth in terms of the number of nuclear power plants in operation and it has a capability of operating nuclear power plants at the world's highest levels and the technology to build nuclear facilities on its own.
Prospects for Korea's advancement in the foreign nuclear power market will be likely to change for the better when compared to the past as the renaissance of the global nuclear power market is expected to follow in the wake of the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
As China is expected to emerge as a giant nuclear market with an ambitious nuclear power plant construction plan, Korea is making efforts to participate in the project in such areas as the supply of OPR 1000, APR-1400, an updated reactor version, and the equipment and components. China plans to expand its nuclear power capacity from the current 6.7 million kW to 30 million kW by the year 2999 - a requirement for building twenty to thirty 1 million-kW-class nuclear facilities.
Korea is trying to explore the possibility of its participation in the Chernavoda nuclear power project in Romania by conducting a feasibility study on Romania's third nuclear facility project. Korea is now operating a 700MW CANDU-type unit for Romania and it is offering technology consultation on the second unit.
In order to advance to the Vietnamese market, Korea is now exploring ways of exporting OPR 1000 by conducting joint studies on nuclear power and participating in exhibitions and seminars and supporting human resources development. The Southeast Asian country envisions construction of two 1,000MW-class units by 2017.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) and Indonesian atomic agency are conducting a joint research on making preparations for Indonesia's first nuclear unit.
Along with cooperation on the System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART), Korea is now developing as its own model. SMART is under construction as Korea's main project on desalination and power generation. Korea Atomic Research Institute finished the design of the reactor, capable of supplying 100,000 kW of electricity and 40,000 tons of water to a city with a population of 100,000. SMART is designed to be 100 times safer than existing reactors.
Many countries, including Indonesia, recognizing Korea's technology prowess in nuclear power, are requesting Korea to provide technological cooperation on SMART. A case in point is Indonesia's planned project to build two SMART units on Mathura Islands by 2018 in cooperation with the IAEA. Korea has also inked an MOU on joint study on SMART each with the United Arab Emirates and Chile.
If and when the technology of SMART is verified by 2010, Korea is expected to gain a momentum in exporting its own technology on nuclear power and safety.

Q: What steps are in place to ensure the safety of nuclear units in operation?
A: The life expectancy for Kori Unit No. 1 and Wolsong Unit No. 1 will expire in 2008 and 2013, respectively, according to the designs, but public opinion has surfaced over the need for continuing their operation in the case that there is no problems with economic and security aspects after the expiration dates.
The government plans to seek an amendment to the Nuclear Act stipulating only the dismantling of nuclear facilities, calling for among others, permanent suspension or closures in case that the operation of long-enduring nuclear units fails to meet the safety regulations or allowing them to opt for a new lease of life.
To this end, the ministry is drawing up necessary relevant regulations and safety standards. It is working on the standards for 58 evaluation categories in five fields, more than the current guidelines on safety by referring the international standards. Setting the standards for 48 evaluation categories in three sectors has already been finished as of April. MOST is fine-tuning with relevant government ministries the3 revisions for the implementation ordinance and decrees of the Nuclear Power Act in a bid to lay a legal foundation for the change.

Q: What steps has the ministry taken to prepare for the effects earthquakes could have on nuclear facilities, as the public concerns over possible devastation of earthquakes have mounted in the wake of a tremor that hit a coastal area in Japan last March 20?
A: Since the beginning of instrumental recording by the Korea Meteorological Administration in 1978, the number of earthquakes observed in Korea averaged 20 to 25 cases annually until mid 90's. Coming into the 2000's, the figure has increased 40 to 45. The rise is attributable to the earthquake monitoring network that has been augmented since the late 90's to the extent that even small earthquakes can be detected. The number of earthquake observatories has increased from six in the early 80s to19 in the late 90's and to 34 by the end of 2003, while monitoring equipment has shifted from an analogue mode to a broadband digital one. Indeed, a survey of earthquake in Korea shows that the occurrence rate of earthquakes with a Richter scale of more than 3 remains unchanged to an average of 10 annually since the beginning of instrumental recording by the Korea Meteorological Administration in 1978.
Korean nuclear facilities are designed to stand a vibratory ground motion which could be generated from an earthquake 6.5 in the Richter scale at the plant site. Stepwise earthquake-proof measures are in place: They are site characterization, earthquake-proof design and construction and earthquake monitoring and warning. In the site characterization stage, site suitability and the geological and seismological data for design should be evaluated, through a regional investigation within a radius of 320km, a detailed site survey within a radius of 8 km of the site, and very detailed geotechnical engineering investigation within the site; a maximum design earthquake and other geological features adverse to the site stability are taken into account in the stage of design; an earthquake-proof structures and a real-time earthquake monitoring system are installed in the construction stage; and in stage of operation, seismic activities are monitored as a real-time basis. When the peak ground acceleration (PGA) exceeds 0.01g, a nuclear facility is placed on alert with the issuance of warning, and in case of an excess of 0.1g in PGA, the reactor is halted and major systems are checked to ensure safety. nw