[The Editors' Verdict] Five Nuclear Power Issues the New President Will Face

Professor Jeong Dong-wook, Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Chung-Ang University.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

In two weeks, the winner of the 20th presidential election will be decided. The next president’s five-year term will be a period that determines whether the nationally determined contribution (NDC) 2030, which we promised to the international community, will be achieved, and it will also lay the foundation for carbon neutrality by 2050. In particular, there are only eight years left until 2030, when greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by as much as 40%. Essentially, the success or failure of the NDC depends on the next five years, and it is a time to devise a plan that can contribute to carbon neutrality as an advanced country in the international community while minimizing the burden on the people.

Looking at the TV debates and media announcements of the presidential candidates, there are significant differences among them regarding the role of nuclear power in achieving carbon neutrality, ranging from active utilization to passive use or complete abolition. The global trend is moving toward actively using nuclear power for carbon neutrality, such as the recent push to include nuclear power in Europe’s taxonomy. Therefore, whoever becomes the main figure on March 9, energy policy for carbon neutrality will be a core task of the next government, and the nuclear power issue cannot be avoided.

The first issue is the continued operation of nuclear power plants. During the next government’s five years, six nuclear reactors will have their operating licenses expire, starting with Kori Unit 2 in 2023. After that, four more reactors will expire, resulting in the closure of 10 reactors by 2030. New reactors starting operation include Shin Hanul Unit 2 and Shin Kori Units 5 and 6, totaling three. Although new reactors will come online, the overall share of nuclear power will decrease. Continued operation of nuclear power plants is the most cost-effective decarbonization strategy. One pillar of the recent revision of the European Union (EU) taxonomy is investment in the continued operation of nuclear power plants. The operating license for Kori Unit 2 expires in August next year. This is the most urgent issue to decide for safety regulation review and equipment maintenance.

The second issue is the resumption of construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4. Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 have been a hot topic throughout the current government’s five years. Although more than one million citizens have signed petitions demanding the resumption of construction and the residents of Uljin support the project, construction was halted, and the situation remains ambiguous without either termination or resumption. The power generation business license has only been extended until February next year, so this is an issue that must be resolved immediately after taking office.

The third issue is the power supply and demand plan. This year is when the 10th Power Supply and Demand Plan must be established. The 9th Power Supply and Demand Plan, announced in the last week of 2020, was formulated under the policy of phasing out nuclear power. The government itself admitted the incompleteness of the 9th plan, stating it failed to reflect changes in power demand due to carbon neutrality. The 10th Power Supply and Demand Plan is very important for the 2030 NDC and must be carefully prepared by the new government.

The fourth issue is establishing a plan for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. When public deliberations were held for Shin Kori Units 5 and 6, the public demanded two things: safe operation of nuclear power plants and a solution to the spent nuclear fuel problem. However, over the past five years, the government has only reviewed disposal policies and presented conclusions not much different from the 2016 spent nuclear fuel disposal plan. It was merely a waste of time. The EU also revised its taxonomy this time, urging the establishment of spent nuclear fuel disposal facilities by 2050. We too must establish institutional frameworks and concrete plans for building disposal facilities by 2050 under the next government.

The fifth issue is revising the carbon neutrality scenario. There have been various controversies regarding the feasibility of the 2050 carbon neutrality scenario established by the current government. At the center of these controversies is the use of nuclear power. At the end of last year, a “Letter of Recommendation from 200 Senior Scientists in Science and Technology for Carbon Neutrality to the 20th Presidential Candidates,” involving about 70 former ministers of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment, deputy prime ministers, former heads of national research institutes, and university presidents, emphasized the necessity of utilizing nuclear power and requested a pragmatic carbon neutrality policy. This is the biggest challenge the new president will face.