By Yoon Ja-young
Construction work on the Shin-Kori No. 5 and 6 nuclear reactors will resume from midnight, following a recommendation by a public debate commission.
But construction plans for six other nuclear reactors will be dropped, while the ratio of renewable energy in power generation will be increased to 20 percent by 2030.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy announced the energy transition roadmap at a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Moon Jae-in Tuesday.
“The government will respect the recommendation of the commission,” the energy ministry said. “The construction of the Shin-Kori 5 and 6 reactors will resume and the follow-up measures will be prepared soon.”
Following President Moon Jae-in’s campaign pledge to phase out nuclear power, construction of the two reactors near the southeastern port city of Ulsan was halted in July.
With President Moon pledging to follow public opinion regarding the reactors’ fate, a state commission of 471 civilian jury members was set up. After a series of debates, the commission recommended last Friday that construction should resume.
The government noted the huge gap between those who supported resumption and those who opposed it - 59.5 percent backed resumption while 40.5 percent opposed it. The gap expanded as discussions proceeded.
Though Moon is retreating from his earlier pledge to scrap the two reactors, the public debate commission gave him momentum for energy transition, with 53.2 percent of the jury agreeing the ratio of nuclear energy should be reduced, while only 9.7 percent said it should be expanded.
Based on this, the government said it will cancel nuclear reactor construction plans except for Shin-Kori 5 and 6. Aged reactors will also be shut down without extending their lifespan. According to the energy transition roadmap, the number of nuclear reactors in the country will decrease from 24 to 14 by 2038.
The energy ministry estimated that decommissioning the Kori-1 reactor, the oldest reactor in Ulsan that was shut down in June, will cost 719.4 billion won. It will take over 15 years to dismantle the reactor, which was closed after 40 years of operation.
The government plans to fund the cost of the nuclear phase-out. It also plans to set up an institute on nuclear decommissioning, as the reactor dismantling industry is expected to grow around the world. While the government will continue supporting Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to export nuclear reactors, the state-run company will also focus on nuclear safety and dismantling as new growth engines.
While decreasing nuclear energy, the government plans to increase the ratio of renewable energy to 20 percent of power generation in 2030 from 7 percent.
Safety standards will also be strengthened on nuclear reactors. All nuclear reactors will have to submit an accident management plan by June 2019; and earthquake resistance capacity will be enhanced for all reactors by June 2018. The government plans to expand safety-related investment in reactors that have been operating for more than 25 years.