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| A bird's-eye view of the country's first nuclear power plant decommissioning research institute in Ulsan. Courtesy of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power |
By Lee Kyung-min
The government has begun the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant decommissioning research institute in Ulsan, the energy ministry said Monday.
The Institute will develop technologies to ensure safe permanent suspension of nuclear power plants and function as a comprehensive platform to advance radioactive waste analysis.
The construction of a similar institute to decommission pressurized heavy-water reactors will begin in the first half of next year in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said about 313 billion won ($219 million) will be spent to build the institute by 2026 in Ulju, a small county of Ulsan that borders Busan, on a 22,500-square-meter site.
Over 87 billion won will be drawn from the ministry, followed by 193.4 billion won from state-run energy firms including Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), and 32.2 billion won from the municipalities of Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongju and North Gyeongsang Province.
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| Trade, Industry and Energy Deputy Minister Cheon Young-gil, seventh from left, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) CEO Whang Joo-ho eight from left, attend a groundbreaking ceremony in Ulsan, Monday. Courtesy of KHNP |
A groundbreaking ceremony for the research institute in Ulsan was held Monday, followed by a meeting attended by energy authorities and nuclear energy business figures. They discussed ways to fortify the competitiveness of the long-stalled industry due to years of a nuclear phase-out policy.
Among them were officials of Korea Atomic Industrial Forum, a private interest group and Doosan Enerbility, an energy affiliate of Doosan Group.
Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Cheon Young-gil said the government will spare no efforts to help local firms find tasks and develop technologies.
"The institute in Ulsan will become the centerpiece of the country's safe nuclear power generation, functioning as the core technology holder, manager and operator," he said at the ceremony. "The role of the research institute will become pivotal, ahead of full decommissioning of key old nuclear reactors including Kori units."
