Nuclear Power National Priority Strategy

Shin Wolsong Units 1 & 2 projects break ground amid the rekindled global
concern over nuclear energy

Nuclear power is expected to come to life again globally in what's dubbed as the "Second Renaissance"in the wake of mounting global misgivings over energy security, caused by ever-rising crude oil price hikes and other uncertainties.
Now that Korea needs to import about 97 percent of its energy needs, nuclear energy, which supplies some 40 percent of its electricity, is serving as a driving force behind economic strides the nation has made. Nuclear power now accounts for approximately 15 percent of the nation's total energy consumption.
Despite this globally changing trend, things in Korea have not changed, however. Due to still lingering public negative attitudes over nuclear power, the nation is finding it hard to launch new nuclear power unit construction projects.
Take a look into Shin Wolsong Units 1 & 2 projects that broke ground on April 28 after experiencing ups and downs. A ceremony marking the launch of the 7-year, grandiose projects for building Shin Wolsong Units 1 & 2 was held at a construction site at Bonggil-ri, Yangbuk-myeon, North Gyeongsang Province, adjacent to the existing Wolsong Nuclear Power Complex, with Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Chung Sye-kyun, Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Co. President-CEO Lee Joong-jae and North Gyeongsang Province Gov. Lee Eui-geun participating.
At an initial stage, the projects suffered numerous hardships in the course of obtaining permits like environment impact assessments due to petitions of the regional community and opposition by some environmental activists.
However, it finally obtained the go-ahead thanks to publicity activities toward the safety of nuclear power and maximization of neighborhood residents'acceptance arising from the so-called skinship management as well as expectations over the revitalization of the local economy that state projects could create.
KHNP is responsible for the overall management of the project, while Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co. supplies such major facilities as nuclear reactor and turbine/generator. KOPEC has been awarded a contract to provide design services. Construction of major facilities is being undertaken by a consortium comprising of Daewoo E&C, Samsung E&C and GS E&C. About 250 Korean and foreign companies participate in the supply and construction of auxiliary components and devices.
CONTRIBUTION TO REVITALIZING LOCAL ECONOMY. KHNP has set aside 93 billion won supporting infrastructure buildup projects in its neighborhood area as the long-standing project of relocating National Road No. 31 and opening a rerouting road to Provincial Road No. 929. KHNP will earmark 20 billion won in installing facilities designed to prevent erosion of the beautiful coast.
KHNP has earmarked 69.7 billion won in special support funds to Gyeongju City on top of an additional 8 billion won in general and project support funds during construction and operation every year, thus contributing to the development of the district and raising the income of residents.
Contracts signed by KHNP and its contractors contain a clause calling for preferential hiring of local residents. As a result, the projects will have an effect of hiring a combined 8 million man-days, thus creating jobs in such neighboring areas as Yangbuk-myeon and Gampo-eup and contributing to turning around the moribund economy of North Gyeongsang Province.
Despite nuclear energy's essential role, the public acceptance over nuclear power is not still unfavorable, so KHNP is redoubling efforts to publicize the significance of building more nuclear power plants and nuclear waste treatment sites, said Min Kye-hong, KHNP's senior vice president in charge of Project Division.
ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY NUCLEAR POWER UNITS. Because planned Shin Wolsong Units 1 & 2 use an improved Korean Standard Nuclear Standard (KSNP+), the same type core reactor that used on Shin Kori Units1 & 2, the advantages of rebuilding skill will be added, and also new technologies will be applied to improve its safety, economical and operational convenience aspects on design.
In particular, for first time in a domestic nuclear power plant, the projects apply a new water intake and discharge system for components. It will take the low temperature water from 20 meter deep & 860 meter away in near-sea, and it will drain warm water to 15m deep & 540m away in the sea in order to increase its efficiency of cooling system and minimize environmental effects.
The projects for building 1 million kW, PWR type Shin Wolsong Units 1 & 2 received permission last September 30 in accordance with the relevant act. Since the launch of ground leveling last October 1, the progress of the projects was 26 percent complete as of the end of April this year with dedication scheduled for October 2011 and October 2012, respectively.
GLOBAL CONCERN OVER NUCLEAR POWER. Nuclear Power had been once neglected in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. Countries around the world have turned to nuclear energy in the so-call Second Renaissance as crude oil price hikes have been prolonged due to uncertainties in the Middle East and energy security is an essential matter for each country as shown by Russia's recent disruption of gas supplies.
For instance, even the United States, which has halted construction of nuclear power plants for the past 30 years, now changes its nuclear energy policies and indicates the resumption of nuclear power plant construction.
Amid the favorable situation, global efforts have been made to pursue peaceful and transparent uses of nuclear energy and to build up an infrastructure for the construction and operation of nuclear power plants under more economic aspects and more stringent safety regulations than ever before.
Coupled with crude oil prices hovering $70 per barrel, restrictions on the use of fossil fuels, responsible for global warming, is one of the reasons for reconfirming the significance of nuclear power together with limited availability of such new and renewable energy sources as wind power and solar energy.
PROMINENT NUCLEAR POWER PROFILE IN KOREA. Even though nuclear power takes up a 15 percent share in the nation's total energy consumption, the cost of importing uranium, the fuel of nuclear power, was worth a petty $300 million.
An analysis of domestic electricity charge changes indicates the achievements nuclear power has made for the 20 years since the 1980s when nuclear power plants were put into operation in earnest. Prices soared 156 percent for the past 20 years, but an increase in electricity charges remained quite lower at 3 percent. Current electricity charges have been stabilized to levels equivalent to those in 1982.
Korea has continuously invested into nuclear power plant projects, thus contributing to the development of the economy by turning to nuclear power to supply a quite portion of the nation's electricity needs at cheaper rates. On the contrary, other countries have suspended construction of additional nuclear power units or hesitated to do so.
Korea has demonstrated prowess in terms of nuclear power plant capacity factor and nuclear facility operation efficiency. Korea's nuclear power plants averaged 95.5 percent in capacity factor in 2005, surpassing the global average of 79.3 percent. Korea's average of unplanned automatic shutdowns per unit stood at 0.5, quite lower to 1.1 for the United States and 2.5 for France to demonstrate its excellent operation capability.
Ulchin Nuclear Units 5 & 6 were commissioned last year, bringing to 20 the number of nuclear power plants in operation and raising the nation's nuclear power capacity to 17.7 million kW. Ulchin Nuclear Units 5 & 6 with Korean Standard Nuclear Power not only cost less about 800 billion won compared to thermal power plants'generating power, but also they are expected to have a great impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and serve as an alternative energy source.
In keeping with an expansion of nuclear power capacity, Korea is making massive investments into such sectors as human resources development to accelerate its efforts to improve KSNP versions, while coming up with steps designed to make an institutional overhaul of the nuclear power industry.
The nation plans to build eight more power plant units by 2017 with an additional capacity of 9.6 million kW.
Korea is also striving to explore overseas markets. As part of its efforts to publicize KSNP's prowess and enter foreign markets, Korea is conducting a feasibility study on nuclear power plant construction in Romania and joint research on nuclear power with Vietnam. nw

Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Co. President-CEO Lee Joong-jae

MOCIE Minister Chung Sye-kyun ( at the rostrum) delivers a speech during the ground-breaking ceremony.

Min Kye-hong, KHNP's senior vice president in charge of Project Division