South Korea Approves Construction of Two New Nuclear Reactors

South Korea approves building two nuclear reactors

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea approved the construction of two nuclear reactors on its east coast yesterday, reversing a previous administration's anti-nuclear policy as Seoul now works to expand its atomic energy capabilities. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission approved permits to build the Shin Hanul 3 and 4 reactors after it "confirmed the safety" of the project in southeast Uljin city. "No factors have been found at the reactor construction site that could cause geological disasters such as subsidence or ground collapse," it said. Each reactor will have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts, and they are scheduled to be built by 2033. Seoul sought to phase out nuclear energy under the leadership of Moon Jae-in, whose government aimed to make South Korea completely nuclear-free by 2084. But since Yoon Suk Yeol took office in 2022, his government has ambitions to increase the share of power generated from nuclear energy to 36 per cent by 2038, up from the current 30 per cent. The new reactors will "contribute to the development of cutting-edge technologies such as AI by providing a stable supply of clean and reliable energy", said Yoon's Chief of Staff for policy Sung Tae-yoon. The development could also "help the country secure reactor construction bids overseas", he told reporters. The approval came eight years after Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company first submitted the permit request. The process was suspended in 2017 amid the then-government's push to reduce the country's dependence on nuclear energy. Yesterday's decision was criticised by Korean activist group Energy Justice Actions as an "irresponsible move that threatens the safety of the people, in opposition to the global trend towards an energy shift" towards renewable resources. The two new reactors will be Uljin's ninth and tenth, the group said, calling such a concentration a "global rarity".

South Korea approves building two nuclear reactors

South Korea approved the construction of two nuclear reactors on its east coast Thursday, reversing a previous administration's anti-nuclear policy as Seoul now works to expand its atomic energy capabilities. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission approved permits to build the Shin Hanul 3 and 4 reactors after it "confirmed the safety" of the project in southeast Uljin city. "No factors have been found at the reactor construction site that could cause geological disasters such as subsidence or ground collapse," it said. Each reactor will have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts, and they are scheduled to be built by 2033. Seoul sought to phase out nuclear energy under the leadership of Moon Jae-in, whose government aimed to make South Korea completely nuclear-free by 2084. But since Yoon Suk Yeol took office in 2022, his government has ambitions to increase the share of power generated from nuclear energy to 36 percent by 2038, up from the current 30 percent. The new reactors will "contribute to the development of cutting-edge technologies such as AI by providing a stable supply of clean and reliable energy," said Sung Tae-yoon, Yoon's chief of staff for policy. The development could also "help the country secure reactor construction bids overseas," he told reporters. The approval came eight years after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company first submitted the permit request. The process was suspended in 2017 amid the then-government's push to reduce the country's dependence on nuclear energy. Thursday's decision was criticized by Korean activist group Energy Justice Actions as an "irresponsible move that threatens the safety of the people, in opposition to the global trend towards an energy shift" towards renewable resources. The two new reactors will be Uljin's ninth and tenth, the group said, calling such a concentration a "global rarity."

South Korea Revives Plans to Build Two Nuclear Reactors

South Korea approved the construction of two nuclear reactors on the nation's east coast, reviving a project that was scrapped by the former administration, which had pursued an anti-nuclear policy. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission greenlighted the building of Shin Hanul No. 3 and 4 reactors in Uljin, it said in a statement Thursday. The reactors will each have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts, it added. South Korea is in the midst of a nuclear energy renaissance as President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office in 2022, reverses his predecessor's policy and revives the role of atomic power to help slash emissions. Seoul is aiming for nuclear to account for 36% of power generation by 2038, up from 30% now. Read More: South Korea Gets New Nuclear Assurances From U.S. Amid Rising Tensions The country aims to satisfy soaring power demand from artificial intelligence with carbon-free sources such as nuclear and hydrogen, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Choe Nam-ho said in an interview earlier this month. A proposed national energy strategy in May called for three new reactors with 1.4 gigawatts capacity each, and a 700-megawatt small modular reactor by 2038. South Korea expects to complete building Shin Hanul No. 3 and 4 units by 2032 and 2033, respectively, according to the presidential office. The announcement comes after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., the state-run developer of atomic plants, first sought construction approval in 2016. The project had been abandoned under former President Moon Jae-in as he pledged to phase out nuclear power from the country's energy mix, citing safety concerns. The renewed push for nuclear power got a boost earlier this year, when South Korea won a $17 billion project to export its nuclear technology to the Czech Republic.