Korea Electric Power Co. has hooked two new reactors up to the grid.
World Nuclear News reported Thursday that Shin Kori 2 and Shin Wolsong 1 were connected to the grid last month and will enter into commercial service by the middle of the year.
Construction began on both units in 2007, according to the World Nuclear Association. Both are OPR-1000s – pressurized water reactors designed domestically and based originally on the Combustion Engineering System 80 reactor. They bring the total number of power reactors in South Korea to 23. Previously, nuclear provided 31 percent of the country’s electrical generation.
Last year Korea reaffirmed plans to produce nearly 60 percent of its power from 40 reactors by 2030. Three additional units are under construction and expected to come online by the end of 2014.