South Korean APR-1400 starts commercial operation

• 1 year, 11 months ago (2022-12-08)
• David Flin

Asia 892 Nuclear 659

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Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has announced that Unit 1 of the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant has entered commercial operation. The unit, the first of four APR1400 reactors at the site, has been in test operation since July.

Shin Hanul 1, a 1350 MW PWR, first achieved criticality on 22 May 2022 and was connected to the grid on 9 June. It entered test operation in July and had been expected to start commercial operation in September. Unit 2 is scheduled to start commercial operation in September 2023. Shin Kori 5 and 6 are scheduled to be commissioned in March 2023 and June 2024 respectively.

In July, the South Korean Government laid out a new energy policy to maintain the nuclear share of the country’s energy mix at a minimum of 30 per cent by 2030, reversing former President Moon Jae-in’s policy of phasing out nuclear power. The government also called for construction of units 3 and 4 at Shin Hanul to resume after design work was suspended in 2017 due to uncertainties about government policy on the construction of new reactors.