Korea’s Nuclear Power Tech Self-Sufficiency Gains Ground

Plans in place to develop fully homegrown 1500MW-class models by 2012

True to its corporate vision of “enriching lives through environmentally-friendly energy,” Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) has so far contributed to not only economic development and improving the quality of public life by supplying cheap, quality electricity through hydro and nuclear power generation, but is now striving to nourish nuclear power into a next-generation growth engine under the low-carbon, green-growth paradigm by fortifying its external development as well as substantive internal growth.
When Korea was awarded a nuclear power deal in the United Arab Emirates, the first-ever nuclear power facility project, Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp., told reporters late last year that the Korean-type nuclear power models have a track record of world-class safety and operational capability. His remarks indicated that Korea’s success in landing the deal by outbidding advanced nuclear powerhouses was owed to the Korean-type models’ world-class safety and excellent performance.
Korea’s first exporting of commercial nuclear power plants is expected to make the domestic nuclear power industry a new growth engine following the nation’s successes in the semiconductor, shipbuilding and automobile areas, ushering in the so-called renaissance of atomic energy in Korea.
KHNP is devoting itself to ensuring the safety of nuclear power units and raising their capacity factor, as demonstrated by the deal with the UAE.
The Korean nuclear power industry has come from strength to strength as the nation’s nuclear power capacity has reached 17,716MW as of the end of 2009, a 30-fold surge since the 587MW Kori Nuclear Power Unit No. 1 made its debut in April 1978.
The share of atomic energy in power generation surged to 50.1 percent in 1989, then slid down to 34 percent in 1997 with the construction of thermal power units with large-scale capacity such as the Samcheonpo Thermal Power Plant. But the portion of nuclear power has ranged from 35 percent to 40 percent since 1998.
As the end of 2009, atomic energy accounted for some 35 percent of the nation’s total energy generation, and the 20 nuclear power units in operation produced and supplied 147.8 billion kWh. Nuclear energy has established itself as a key energy source, not only contributing to ensuring a stable energy supply, but also spearheading low-carbon, green growth.
Korea, which built a foundation for atomic energy self-sufficiency by inaugurating Kori Nuclear Power Unit No. 1, has concentrated on acquiring new technology and cultivating expert manpower. The nation pushed for technological self-sufficiency by implementing the Nori Nuclear Power Units 3 & 4 construction projects on a non-turnkey basis.
These efforts have paid off. Korea saw the capacity factor ratio, a key yardstick for nuclear power unit operation capability, reach 91.7 percent, higher than the average for nuclear power units around the world.
The nation’s nuclear power units were at an average capacity factor ratio in the 70 percent range until 1990, but thanks to improvements in operation technology, the figure soared to the 80 percent level in 1991, then maintained the 90 percent level for 10 consecutive years from 2000. A 1 percent rise in the capacity factor ratio could bring an economic effect worth roughly 60 billion won per year, an equivalent of saving 240 billion won in operating LNG-fired power plants.
Considered a yardstick for measuring facility reliability, the existing nuclear power units had seven unplanned automatic shutdowns, showing an average of 0.35 unplanned automatic shutdowns per unit in 2008. The figure dropped to six unplanned automatic shutdowns in 2009, a per-unit average of 0.3. In the initial stage of nuclear power development into the mid-1980s, the nation logged five unplanned automatic shutdowns, but made excellent achievements by registering less than one unplanned automatic shutdown on average thanks to the accumulated experiences and related technology.
KHNP has also demonstrated prowess in all categories of operating nuclear power units including operation, maintenance and management. In 2009, seven nuclear power units recorded the “One Cycle Trouble Free (OCTF)” mark, meaning operation without an accident from refueling to refueling. In particular, all of the 20 units in operation have at least once logged the OCTF mark.
No major accidents have occurred over the past 30 years in Korea at any of its 20 units in operation since KHNP has the world’s top-rated operational capability. There is no wonder that Korean-type models exceed the nuclear standards recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by as much as 10 times.
TECHNOLOGICAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY ― Korea plans to fully develop a homegrown 1500MW-cakss model by 2012, three years earlier than planned, as the nuclear power industry emerges as one of its new growth engines. If things go as smoothly as planned, the exporting of 10 nuclear power units will have the effect of substituting 1.7 trillion won worth of imports.
The value of nuclear facility and technology exports topped $1 billion last year, a three-fold surge from $360 million in 2007. The construction of a nuclear power unit will cost an estimated $2.5 billion to $3 billion. According to IAEA estimates, orders for an additional 300 units will be placed by 2030, ushering in the nuclear power renaissance with the global nuclear power market predicted to balloon to $75 billion to $100 billion in value.
The government and KHNP established “Nu-Tech 2015,” a nuclear power generation technology development program, designed to explore the global nuclear power market with its huge potential, but have changed it to “Nu-Tech 2012,” calling for full technology self-sufficiency by October 2012.
The new plan calls for advancing the development of APR+, a fully homegrown 1500MW-class Korean model to update the APR1400, which is the model being built in the UAE. Korea plans to put into commercial operation the APR+, considered to be safer and more economical than the APR1400, starting in 2022, and inaugurate 10 APR+ units by 2030. The Nu-Tech 2012 program focuses on the development of the nation’s top three untapped key nuclear technologies ― the man-machine interface system (MMIS), the reactor coolant pump (RCP) and the core design cord.
Korea plans to secure proprietary rights on the home-grown core design cord, to be made available by 2012, which will likely give Korea a free hand in exporting nuclear power units abroad.
Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co. and Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute are to complete the localization of RCPs, a key component connected to a steam generator, by 2012. The localization of RCPs Korea has so far fully imported would have an effect of substituting approximately 100 billion won per nuclear power unit. nw

(left) KHNP President Kim Jong-shin. KHNP President Kim, MKE Assistant Minister Kim Jung-kwan, KHNP Executive Director Kim Joon-su, KEPCO E&C Kang Sun-gu, KEPCO NF Kim Ki-hak and others who have contributed to the development of homegrown nuclear power technologies pose for a group photo during the Nu-Tech 2012 presentation session on Nov. 18-19.

KHNP is recognized for having a track record of enhancing safety and efficiency of nuclear power units.