Nuclear Power Plant for Sale

By Choi Yearn-hong

South Korea is celebrating the sale of its nuclear power expertise to the United Arab Emirates, with KEPCO's $40-billion contract to build and operate nuclear power plants there.

This is more than just another ``sale'' or business ``export,'' because it is a reflection of the present state of Korean nuclear science and technology ― it has a competitive edge over the United States, France, Canada, Russia, Japan and Britain.

This has and will enhance Korea's status in modern science and technology worldwide. The Gori nuclear power plant, the first nuclear power plant in Korea, constructed in 1978, was a turnkey project.

Foreign scientists and engineers in addition to foreign capital made the construction of this plant possible. Advanced nations were reluctant to transfer their technology to Korea.

Construction and operation of a nuclear power plant requires high precision science, because it utilizes sensitive radioactive materials. South Korea's Gori Plant was a miraculous adventure in generating energy from uranium.

Energy-scarce Korea had to resort to nuclear power. Hydroelectric and coal burning plants could not cope with the ever-increasing energy needs of South Korea's economic development and industrialization in the 1980s and 1990s.

I admire late President Park Chung-hee's vision to build the nuclear power plant to generate power in the 1970s. Gori was the beginning of the Korean revolution in energy and the economic sphere.

Since then, South Korean scientists and engineers have developed their own reactor models at the Wolseong and Yeounggwang nuclear power plants.

The 19 nuclear plants in operation in Korea have steadily improving safety records. Many idealistic environmentalists protest against nuclear power as a source of energy, claiming ``nuclear power is as dangerous as an atomic bomb.''

Searching for a disposal site for nuclear waste was impossible in Korea in the 1980s. Potential disposal sites on isolated islands in the Yellow and South seas were violently opposed by environmentalists and residents in the Gyeongsang, Chungcheong, and Jeolla provinces.

The decision was ultimately made to select a low-level nuclear waste disposal site near Gyeongju in 2005 after long violent struggles between citizens who favored the move and those who did not.

From turnkey projects to licensing, and then to self-innovation, South Korea has made significant progress. Today, South Korea is at the top in advanced nuclear science and technology. It is a nation that can transfer its advanced technology to developing nations.

Korea is a nation that can be proud of its advancement in these fields. That is why U.S. President Barrack Obama praised the South Korean people for their brilliant achievement in changing their fate over a short period of time.

Behind this, I can see Korean people's educational zeal and their systematic thinking of science and technology for the nation's economic well-being. Life is inseparable from science.

Science is for life. Technology transfer is the application of science to a new use or user. It is the process by which techniques developed for one purpose are employed either in a different application or by a new user.

Therefore, technology transfer is sometimes ``un-purposive'' or accidental ― it is sometimes indistinguishable from technology diffusion, and I am all for it.

South Korea cannot dwell on its present state of science and technology, which cannot stand still. It is always moving and flowing. Therefore, Korea should be engaged in innovation in these fields; if not, it will lose its edge in international competition. The international market is getting tougher. China, India, Brazil and other developing nations are challenging Korea.

Once Korea can expand its influence into new regions, possibly in Turkey and Jordan, it should start thinking of new technology to be used in these countries natural environments.

The UAE is a desert country. Jordan is not very different from the UAE, but Turkey is very different, so different technology innovation and transfer is necessary.

At this moment, I would like to propose to Korean nuclear scientists in the field of waste management to develop safe disposal methods and mediums for the UAE, if they have not done so already. No nation has yet uncovered the safest disposal site for high-level nuclear waste.

The United States with its vast land is struggling to find a disposal site ― Obama nullified the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada. However, more research and development projects are ongoing.

The UAE is a small nation located in a vast desert. Constructing a safe plant is one thing, but sooner or later, nuclear waste will be generated. How can the UAE dispose of this waste safely?

If the Korean scientists can demonstrate an advanced state of disposal technology, then they can continue to win international bids.

Fossil fuels are going to run out in a century. Nuclear energy is not yet a complete alternative energy to fossil fuel, due to the waste disposal problem. As I understand it, encasing the waste in glass is a safe, but expensive method.

Waste reduction technology is not enough. Waste recycling is not enough. Granite rocks are one medium. A desert too can be a site advantageous to safe nuclear waste disposal.

I am looking forward to seeing more victories on the part of Korean Electronic Power Corp. (KEPCO), and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. and nuclear researchers in their constant search for innovative technology. I sincerely congratulate them.

Dr. Choi is an environmentalist who has published many articles on nuclear issues in international academic journals. He made speeches at the international conferences, including those organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He can be reached at yearnhchoi@gmail.com.