The Kori-2 nuclear reactor, which was shut down for 2 years and 7 months following the expiration of its original 40-year operating permit, ...
The Kori-2 nuclear reactor, which was shut down for 2 years and 7 months following the expiration of its original 40-year operating permit, has received a 10-year extension, allowing operations to continue until April 2033.
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) approved the 'Kori-2 nuclear reactor continued operation permit proposal' during a meeting on the 13th, with five members voting in favor and one opposing. Previously, the NSSC had delayed its decision during two reviews in September and October, but finally approved the permit proposal during the third review held on the same day. The nuclear sector views this decision as consistent with the overall energy policy direction of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The government, which aims to become one of the top three AI (artificial intelligence) nations globally, determined that extending the operation of existing nuclear reactors is crucial to meet the rising electricity demand driven by the growth of data centers and other factors. It is anticipated that the restart permits for nine nuclear reactors, including the Hanbit-1 reactor, which will cease operations next month upon the expiration of its operating period, will move forward.
Nevertheless, the nuclear sector highlights that the time required for reviewing the extension of nuclear reactor operations should be considerably reduced, and the building of new reactors should also be expedited. Regarding the Kori-2 nuclear reactor, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) submitted an application for an operational extension in April 2022, and the approval was granted after three and a half years. As the extension period is calculated from April 2023, when operations were suspended, even with the 10-year extension approved on that day, it can only provide an additional 7 years and 5 months. The 2 years and 7 months during which operations were halted resulted in a direct loss. The nuclear industry estimates this loss to be over 1 trillion South Korean won, taking into account that more costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) was imported to produce electricity during this time.
◇The Kori-2 nuclear reactor successfully completes the third review for 'ongoing operation'… "Accelerate evaluations for the remaining nine reactors in the AI era"
This marks the third instance where an additional operational license has been issued for a nuclear power plant in South Korea that has exceeded its 40-year operational lifespan, after Kori-1 received approval in 2008 and Wolseong-1 in 2015. It is also the first time that a nuclear facility has been allowed to continue operating since the start of the Lee Jae-myung administration. In relation to the recent approval for the continued operation of Kori-2 under the Lee Jae-myung government, which had previously taken an uncertain position on nuclear energy, the nuclear sector views the current administration's energy strategy as moving away from the 'nuclear phase-out' approach associated with the Moon Jae-in era toward a more pragmatic energy mix.
The Kori-2 nuclear power plant, situated in Gijang-gun, Busan, is a pressurized water reactor that has a capacity of 685 megawatts (MW) and started commercial operations on April 9, 1983. Its operations were suspended on April 8, 2023, after the initially allowed operational period of 40 years ended. Following the approval from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on the 13th, the Kori-2 nuclear power plant immediately started getting ready for resumption. The plan involves finishing current facility upgrades, verifying safety through routine inspections, and resuming electricity generation in February next year. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) mentioned, 'The restart of the Kori-2 nuclear power plant will support the national economy by providing a reliable energy source to meet the growing electricity demand from AI, data centers, and other areas.'
◇Reduce review periods and increase operational periods
A total of 10 nuclear power plants, including the Kori-2 nuclear reactor, have submitted applications to the NSSC for extended operational licenses. These facilities have a combined generating capacity of 8.45 gigawatts (GW), which constitutes one-third of the country's overall nuclear power generation capacity (26.05 GW). This has led to criticisms that extended review periods for continued operation result in shutdowns, complicating efforts to meet the rapidly increasing electricity demand in the AI era. Particularly in a context where the government has publicly committed to becoming one of the top three AI nations, nuclear energy is crucial for power generation, serving as a lifeline for AI development. To support the stable operation of the 260,000 GPUs (graphics processing units) that NVIDIA has agreed to prioritize supplying to South Korea, up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of power is needed, including cooling and infrastructure requirements. This amount is nearly 1.5 times the output of the Kori-2 nuclear reactor. Moreover, achieving the national greenhouse gas reduction target (NDC) requires maintaining the operation of existing nuclear reactors without interruption.
The NSSC intends to finalize the review of the Kori-3 and Kori-4 reactors, which have had their operating licenses expire and have ceased operations, during the first half of next year. Due to similar circumstances, the Hanbit-1 reactor, which will stop functioning next month, aims to complete its review in the second half of next year. The Hanul-1 and Hanul-2 reactors are expected to make decisions on restart permits during the first half of 2027, while the Wolseong-2, 3, and 4 reactors will do so in the second half of 2027. If the reviews follow the schedule outlined in the NSSC's annual audit report this year, the Hanul-1 and Hanul-2 reactors, along with the Wolseong-3 and Wolseong-4 reactors, will obtain extension permits before their operational periods conclude, thus avoiding any interruption in power generation. Previously, the Kori-2 nuclear reactor had to shut down for more than two years due to delays in applying for an operational extension, which were attributed to the Moon Jae-in government's nuclear phase-out policy. Professor Jung Jae-hak from the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Kyung Hee University remarked, 'Constructing a new nuclear reactor costs trillions of won, and there is no greater waste than stopping existing reactors simply because their operational periods have ended,' and added, 'It is considered that the Lee Jae-myung government’s decision to approve the restart reflects a practical approach to energy issues, irrespective of political considerations.'
◇ "The safety of current reactors is also ensured by new reactors"
With the current advancements in nuclear technology, there are increasing demands to increase the 10-year extension period to 20 years or more. In the United States, 84 out of 92 nuclear reactors (approximately 90%) have been granted permission to operate for an additional 20 years past their initial 40-year lifespan. Particularly, the Surry-1 reactor in Virginia, which started commercial operations in 1972, has had its operational time extended twice and is now allowed to run until 2052. This makes the total operational duration 80 years. Last year, the U.S. introduced a plan via its '2050 Nuclear Power Expansion Roadmap' aiming to extend the maximum operational period of nuclear reactors from 80 to 100 years. Japan, which faced the Fukushima nuclear disaster, has also prolonged the operational periods of certain reactors from 40 to 60 years. France permits extensions up to 60 years, while Sweden recently announced its intention to extend from 60 to 80 years. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, 189 out of 416 nuclear reactors globally (45%) have been operating for over 40 years. Experts analyze
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