For the first time in South Korea, the country’s nuclear power plant operator Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company said it would decommission one of its nuclear reactors, starting with the oldest plant in the country.
Reports say that the government wants to use the Kori No. 1 pressurized light-water reactor as a test case, so the country can acquire and achieve success with decommissioning technology. The 587-megawatt reactor has been operating since 1978. It was given a 10-year operating permit extension in 2007 and is now scheduled to shut down permanently after 2017.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company currently operates 23 nuclear power plant and the country is taking a proactive stance on nuclear power with plans to build 13 new reactors by 2029 in South Korea and build up a nuclear power export business.
The Kori No. 1 reactor has also been hit with a series of operational problems, which led to a government recommendation that KHNP close the reactor, which is located near Busan, the second largest city in South Korea after Seoul with a population of 3.6 million. The recommendation to close the plant was announced last week.