Current Status and Challenging Issues of Nuclear Energy in KoreaCurrent Status and Challenging

Issues of Nuclear Energy in Korea

Park, Yong TaekPresident & CEO

Korea Power Engineering Company, Inc.

18th World Energy CongressOctober 22, 2001, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Need for Nuclear Energy (Need for Nuclear Energy (11))

Nuclear Energy in Korea

Energy security

Resolution of global warming problem

Need for Nuclear Energy (Need for Nuclear Energy (22))

The Energy Security

The lack of internal energy resources

Import almost all energy resources from abroad

Diversified energy supply has increased our energy security

1978 2000

Oil

Hydro NuclearCoal

83.9%

5.7% 7.4%3.0%

OilHydro

Nuclear Coal

8.0%2.1%

40.9% 36.6%

Gas 12.4%

( Electric power generation by energy sources )

Need for Nuclear Energy (3)

The Global Warming Problem

Kyoto agreement on the Climate Change Treaty

requires the reduction of Greenhouse

Gas emissions

Nuclear Energy is :

a feasible solution to global warming problem

important alternative to fossil fuel

Current Status of NPPs in Korea (1)Current Status of NPPs in Korea (1)

SEOULSEOUL

PWRPWR

PHWRPHWR

PWRPWRPWRPWR

Ulchin #1,2,3 & 4 Ulchin #5&6

Wolsong #1,2,3&4

Kori #1,2,3&4

Yonggwang #1,2,3&4 Yonggwang #5&6

CHINACHINA

JAPANJAPAN

RUSSIARUSSIA Location of NPPs

16 In Operation

4 under Construction

6 Planned

16 In Operation

4 under Construction

6 Planned

Current Status of NPPs in Korea (2)

Trend of Capacity Factor

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

’90 ’92 ’94 ’96 ’98 ’00

79.3 84.5 87.4 87.5 90.2 90.4

65.7 67.3 70.2 72.9 73.9 76.4

Year

Korea

World( Source : Nucleonics Week )

USA

Korea

Japan

World

2.9 2.6 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.3 -

Current Status of NPPs in Korea (3) Trend of Unplanned Outages

1

2

3

4

’90 ’92 ’94 ’96 ’98 ’99 ’00

2.0 1.7 0.9 0.9 0.4 0.9 0.5

0.4 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 -

Year

Korea

Japan

( Source : IAEA Power Reactor Information System )

( No / Unit - Year )

USA

USA

KoreaKorea

Japan

2000 2005 2010 2015Year

0

100

200

300

400

500

Po

wer

Gen

erat

ion

NuclearCoalOilGas

X 103GWh

Hydro

266,380GWh

329,412GWh

384,713GWh

426,769GWh

108,964(40.9%)

126,364(38.4%)

153,156(39.9%)

190,125(44.5%)

(34.9%)

(7.2%)(10.8%)

(1.1%)

(36.6%)

(8.0%)(12.4%)

(2.1%)

Long Term Power Development Plan

Current Status of NPPs in Korea (4)Current Status of NPPs in Korea (4)

KSNP+

APR 1400

KSNP Series

Turnkey

Non Turnkey

’70 ’75 ’78 ’81 ’84 ’87 ’90 ’93 ’96 ’99 ’02 ’05 ’08 ’11 ’15

No.ofUnit

Shin Wolsong 1,2Shin Wolsong 1,2

Shin Kori 3,4Shin Kori 3,4

Wolsong 2,3,4Wolsong 2,3,4

Shin Kori 1,2Shin Kori 1,2

Yonggwang 5,6Yonggwang 5,6

Ulchin 5,6Ulchin 5,6

Ulchin 3,4Ulchin 3,4Yonggwang 3,4Yonggwang 3,4

Ulchin 1,2Ulchin 1,2

Yonggwang 1,2Yonggwang 1,2Kori 3,4Kori 3,4

Kori 2Kori 2Wolsong 1Wolsong 1

Kori 1Kori 1

Const.

Opr.

Technology Development

New ProjectNew Project28

20

9

3

Plan

Technology Development in Korea (1)Technology Development in Korea (1)

24

16

KSNP Development

1,000MWe, Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Design life : 40 years

Incorporated reinforced safety requirements after

Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents

Accident probability (CDF) : 1.0 x 10-5/yr

4 units in operation and

4 units under construction

Technology Development in Korea (2)Technology Development in Korea (2)

Technology Development in Korea (3)Technology Development in Korea (3)New Design Development Program

Improved economics, safety, and operability

KSNP+ Same type PWR plant as KSNP Improved safety and economics 4 units to be in operation by 2010

Advanced Power Reactor(APR) 1400 1,400MWe, Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Safety improved (by 50%) More competitive than coal power 4 units to be in operation by 2014

Challenges for Future Development(1)Challenges for Future Development(1)

Safety

Waste management

Public acceptance

Economic competitiveness

Challenges for Future Development(2)Challenges for Future Development(2)

Safety

Technology development & back fitting

experiences

Int’l cooperation for information exchanges

Adopted PSR(Periodic Safety Review)

To improve the safety of operating plants

PSR for the 9 operating plants to be carried out by 2006.

Challenges for Future Development(3)Challenges for Future Development(3)

Waste Management

Faced with difficulties due to public opposition

Wait and see the future technology innovation

Spent nuclear fuels are temporarily stored at the site.

Seriously considering the construction of a centralized interim storage facility

Challenges for Future Development(4)Challenges for Future Development(4)

Public Acceptance

Essential to the role of nuclear energy for sustainable development

To obtain public supports :

Transparency should be maintained

Information on the economic & environmental benefit should be communicated

Challenges for Future Development(5)Challenges for Future Development(5)

Economic Competitiveness Very important to sustain nuclear energy Nuclear will not succeed, if not competitive

Many studies and efforts being made world-wide

Need international cooperation for technology exchange

Public acceptance is very important

Conclusions Conclusions

No alternative large scale non-carbon

power source is available

Nuclear energy will hold a firm position as

a main source of electricity generation