A view of Hanbit Nuclear Power Headquarters in Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced on July 14 that it had approved the criticality of Hanbit Unit 2, which had been undergoing a regular inspection since May 17.
Criticality refers to the state in which a sustained nuclear fission chain reaction occurs in a reactor, with the number of neutrons produced and lost being equal, resulting in a stable neutron population. Granting criticality means that the reactor has been confirmed to operate safely, and it is generally used to indicate approval for the reactor to resume operation.
The commission stated that, during this regular inspection, it conducted inspections on 84 out of a total of 94 items that needed to be completed before achieving criticality, and confirmed that the reactor could safely reach criticality in the future.
During this inspection period, based on the results of the steam generator tube leak test and eddy current testing (a non-destructive test used to detect defects on or near the surface of metal materials), maintenance was performed on 231 tubes out of a total of 16,878, with 224 tubes undergoing sleeving (a maintenance method that reinforces tubes by inserting and welding a metal tube inside the original tube) and 7 tubes being plugged. The commission explained that these tests and maintenance were carried out in accordance with technical standards.
The commission stated, "Based on the results of the regular inspection so far, we have approved the criticality of Hanbit Unit 2, and we will confirm its safety through follow-up inspections (10 items), including power ascension tests."
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