Presidential Office on Shin Hanul Approval: "Restoring the Nuclear Ecosystem on the Verge of Collapse... Industrial Reboot"

"Enhancing Nuclear Power Plant Reliability to Contribute to Exports"
Excavation Work to Begin Tomorrow... Completion by 2033

Sung Tae-yoon, Chief of Policy Office at the Presidential Office, is giving a briefing on current issues related to the nuclear power industry at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul on the 12th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office stated on the 12th that the approval for the construction of Shinhanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 "signifies the restoration of the nuclear power ecosystem that was on the brink of collapse and provides an opportunity for the nuclear industry to make a leap forward."

Seong Tae-yoon, Director of Policy at the Presidential Office, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon and said, "The approval for the construction of Shinhanul Units 3 and 4 marks the official start of building new nuclear power plants in line with the energy policy direction of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, which abolished the previous government's nuclear phase-out policy."

Seong added, "The resumption of construction for Shinhanul Units 3 and 4 will contribute to the development of advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the reduction of carbon emissions through clean and stable power supply," and "furthermore, it will enhance the international credibility of South Korea's nuclear industry, contributing to future nuclear power exports including the Czech Republic's nuclear power plant orders."

Shinhanul Units 3 and 4 had been promoted since 2002 and had received power generation business permits, but construction was halted in October 2017 under the Moon Jae-in administration's nuclear phase-out policy. After the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, the new energy policy direction was decided at the Cabinet meeting in July 2022, initiating the restoration of the nuclear ecosystem, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission approved the construction of Shinhanul Units 3 and 4 on this day.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) plans to start basic excavation work from the 13th and aims to complete Unit 3 in 2032 and Unit 4 in 2033.

Seong stated, "The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission plans to thoroughly verify the safety, including the installation and performance suitability of reactor facilities during the construction of Shinhanul Units 3 and 4," and "the government will strengthen scientific approaches to nuclear safety to ensure that nuclear power plants are constructed on schedule and operated safely."

Regarding concerns that transmission infrastructure may be insufficient even after the completion of Shinhanul Units 3 and 4, a Presidential Office official said, "Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) plans to build a new technology 'High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission line' connecting the East Coast region and the metropolitan area by 2026," adding, "This technology transmits electricity over long distances with minimal power loss, so there is no problem at all."