Deputy Minister of Industry: "No Matter What, We Will Prevent 'Power Plant Shutdowns'"... Emergency Measures Prepared for COVID-19 Confirmed Cases

Jeong Seung-il, Vice Minister of Industry, Inspects Power Supply Preparedness for COVID-19 Response at Power Plants
24-Hour Power Supply Plan in Case of Confirmed Cases at Power Plants

Focus on Measures for Infection of Safety Personnel in Nuclear Power Plant Central Control Room
Ministry of Industry Consults with KDCA to Allow Operation with Personal Protective Equipment

In Case of Confirmed Cases at Naju Power Exchange Center, "Substitution with Gyeonggi-do Facility"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government announced that it is conducting inspections to ensure that even if an infection occurs within a power plant due to the aftermath of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there will be no disruption to the 24-hour power supply.

On the 27th at 2:30 PM, Jeong Seung-il, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will visit the Jungbu Power Generation Seoul Combined Cycle Power Plant (formerly Danginri Power Plant) to check the current status of COVID-19 related quarantine responses at power plants and the readiness of power supply.

The five power generation companies?Jungbu Power, Namdong Power, Nambu Power, Dongseo Power, and Seobu Power?will announce their "COVID-19 Emergency Response Plans."

First, all employees and visitors undergo preventive measures such as installation of thermal imaging cameras, completion of visitor health questionnaires, and temperature checks.

They also reported strengthening infection prevention activities for personnel in the central control room, a core facility of the power plant, and implementing emergency personnel operation measures.

According to energy experts, personnel in the central control rooms of nuclear power plants are relatively more difficult to replace compared to those in other base load power plants such as coal power plants or peak load facilities like liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants.

In response, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy emphasized that it plans to secure 2,560 substitute reserve personnel to ensure that even if confirmed cases or suspected patients occur within the power plant, the operation of the central control room will not be disrupted.

Attention had been focused on how to respond when a confirmed case among nuclear power plant operating personnel occurred, as one of the two confirmed cases at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, was a security staff member at the Wolseong Nuclear Power Headquarters. The government has alleviated these concerns.

In particular, the Ministry stated that in consultation with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, even if a confirmed case occurs within the central control room, operations can continue on the premise of wearing personal protective equipment.

Under the condition of wearing safety helmets, masks, safety goggles, full-body protective suits, gloves, shoe covers, and boots, disinfection will be performed and simultaneous operation will be permitted.

In principle, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's "Workplace Response Guidelines for COVID-19 Prevention and Spread Control," workplaces where confirmed cases occur must be disinfected and prohibited from use until the following day.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated that since power plants are national critical infrastructure, it will work with the Disease Control Agency to prevent such situations. This expresses the determination to ensure that power plants never stop under any circumstances.

Additionally, the Korea Power Exchange announced that the Central Power Control Center will be operated normally 24 hours a day by preparing detailed personnel operation plans and utilizing backup facilities. The Exchange oversees national power facilities and system operations.

If a confirmed case occurs within the Naju Central Power Control Center, designated substitute workers will be sequentially deployed to prevent any work gaps.

Even if normal operation of the Naju Control Center becomes difficult, the backup control center located in Gyeonggi-do will be immediately utilized to ensure no disruption in power supply management.

A Korea Power Exchange official explained, "At this 'serious' stage of the COVID-19 crisis, this is not an emergency situation, and we basically have reserve power sufficient to cover several peak load facilities such as LNG power plants."

Vice Minister Jeong said, "Now is a time when stable power supply is more important than ever," and urged, "I hope all heads and employees of power-related organizations do not let their guard down and do their best to manage stable power supply so that the public can use electricity with peace of mind in any emergency situation."