Nuclear Power Program in Korea - Status & Prospects

Abstract

Korea is a nation making great progress with its nuclear power development program despite the current worldwide nuclear industry's slump which is a result of the global recession. The reason for this is that Korea does not have sufficient energy resources to meet demand. Consequently, it is inevitable to diversify our energy supply sources in order to reduce our dependence on imported energy. The nation's first nuclear power plant, KNU 1 , began commercial operation in April 1978 . KNU 3 , the first PHWR in Korea, was dedicated in April of this year with a 678 MW generating capacity. Also completed this year was KNU 2 , which went into commercial operation in June with a 650 MW generating capacity. The installed capacity of these three nuclear units now in operation totals 1,916 MW, accounting for 14.6 per cent of the nation's total. Six 950 MW nuclear-power plants are under construction, and these units are scheduled for completion by 1989. KNU's 11 & 12 are in the planning stage. They should go into commercial operation in due time, respectively. This paper describes briefly the status of Korea's nuclear power development program and the activities of local nuclear industries. It will also introduce you to the efforts being made by local industries to achieve our goal of self-reliance capability for localization.