South Korea and UAE to share APR1400 operating experience

• 7 years ago (2017-06-09)
• David Flin

Asia 892 Middle East 326 Nuclear 659

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Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) and the UAE’s Nawah Energy Company have agreed to cooperate in sharing operating experience Korean-designed APR1400 nuclear reactors. South Korea’s first APR1400 unit entered commercial operation in December 2015, and UAE plans to start four such reactors by 2020.

Through the agreement, the two companies will share APR1400 operational experience at nuclear power plants in their respective countries. KHNP said that the scope of the cooperation will gradually be expanded to include maintenance experience, the sharing of urgent materials, and the joint purchase of spare components.

A spokesperson for KHNP said: “The signing of the agreement has created a foundation for APR1400 power plants in both countries to improve safety, reliability, efficiency, and joint issues.”

The first APR1400 reactor, Unit 3 at KHNP’s Shin Kori site, entered commercial operation in December 2016. A second unit, Shin Kori 4, is scheduled to start operating later in 2017. Two APR1400 units are under construction at Shin Hanul. Two more APR1400 units have been approved for construction at Shin Kori, and there are plans for two more at Shin Hanul.

Construction of four APR1400 reactors began at the Barakah site in UAE in 2012. The plant is being built for Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) by a consortium led by the Korean Electric Power Company (KEPCO). The units are scheduled to start up at annual intervals, with the first scheduled to commence operations later in 2017.