'Focus on Ensuring Safety of Nuclear Power'

KHNP President Kim delivers New Year message

Kim Jong-shin, president of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), said in his New Year message, "I repeatedly stress that as it comes to the nuclear power business, safety is the foremost value that cannot be exchanged with anything else."
Kim said, "The year 2011 saw our company experience many things and many hardships. It was a year in which we'd made strenuous efforts to dramatically enhance the safety of nuclear power units through massive examinations in the wake of the nuclear accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and to dispel the public's misgivings about nuclear power. In addition, the Sept. 15 power cut served as an opportunity for the local power industry to take some time for soul-searching."
Kim said last year was also a year in which many achievements were made with a sense of determination. Amidst the hardships, Yeongdeok and Samcheok have been selected as candidate sites for new nuclear power complexes, and KHNP devoted itself to ensuring a stable supply of electricity during the winter and summer peak seasons by taking over pumped-storage power plants.
The company, which has 21 nuclear power units, 38 hydroelectric units, and 16 pumped-storage units, accounting for a 32 percent share of the nation's total electricity production, took pains in the construction of four nuclear power units in the United Arab Emirates, strengthened R&D activities on nuclear power, and ramped up the development of original technologies for nuclear power by taking over Korea Electric Power Research Institute, an affiliate of KEPCO, he said.
"We have to make resolutions anew by looking back at last year for soul-searching and solve a heap of pending issues and tasks wisely."
First, he said, KHNP should focus on securing the highest safety for nuclear power. "I repeatedly stress that as it comes to the nuclear power business, safety is the foremost value that cannot be exchanged with anything else. What came first among the CEO's management tenets in the past four years was a safety-first management policy.
"Despite a track record of excellent operation of nuclear power units, we suffered numerous stoppages. Whenever an accident takes place, we'll have to have the wisdom to ensure the prevention of a repeat of similar cases by learning priceless lessons by scrutinizing the accident."
Kim called for his staff members to share best practices among division headquarters and to make zero human errors.
Second, Kim urged his executives and staff members to complete the construction of the new nuclear power units on time along with the successful execution of overseas projects.
"In order to proactively contribute to ensuring a stable supply of electricity, we have to complete the construction of Shin Kori Nuclear Power Unit 2 and Shin Wolsong Nuclear Power Unit 1 on time within this year and launch projects to build Shin Wolsong Unit 2, Shin Kori Units 3 & 4, and Shin Ulchin Units 1 & 2 without fail."
Kim called for everyone at KHNP to join forces in making the UAE project, which is the first to export a Korean-type reactor model, a success.
KHNP is seeking to land a Finnish nuclear power project, which will be put up for an international bidding around the end of this year, he said.
Third, he said, KHNP will devote itself to ensuring the efficient operation of hydroelectric and pumped-storage power plants as well as implementing new and renewable energy projects.
Lastly, he urged his executives and staff members to maximize solutions to the pending issues.
Kim called for seamless preparations for organizing the Nuclear Industry Summit, which will coincide with the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit slated for March in Seoul.
He also said KHNP needs to completely secure technology self-sufficiency and technology competitiveness in the global nuclear power market and to localize valves and other numerous auxiliary nuclear power components and equipment by successfully implementing the core technology development project dubbed "Nu-Tech 2012."

Kim Jong-shin, president of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP)