Busan: South Korea has approved the decommissioning of the country's first commercial nuclear reactor, the now-defunct Kori-1 unit. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) announced this decision, marking the country's inaugural decommissioning of a nuclear reactor.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Kori-1 unit, located in Busan, was permanently shut down in June 2017 after nearly 40 years of operation since its inception in April 1978. The decommissioning process began in May last year when Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) initiated chemical decontamination to remove radioactive materials from the reactor. KHNP emphasized that dismantling Kori-1 will create new business opportunities in the global reactor decommissioning market.
An NSSC official mentioned that the complete dismantling of the reactor is projected to take 12 years, primarily due to the challenges associated with constructing facilities for spent nuclear fuel storage. A commission review noted that KHNP has three specialized decommissioning units with 108 personnel, and existing departments have provided adequate support. The decommissioning is expected to cost 1.07 trillion won (US$788.8 billion).
KHNP's plan outlines that spent nuclear fuel will be removed six years post-approval, contaminated zones will be cleared in 10 years, and full site restoration will be completed in 12 years. The decommissioning will generate 171,708 tons of radioactive waste, including 65 tons of intermediate-level waste and 8,941 tons of low-level waste, with established management plans for each type.
Currently, excluding Kori-1, South Korea operates 26 nuclear reactors. Twenty of these are active, with a combined capacity of 20,854 megawatts electric (MWe). Of the remaining six, five are under regulatory maintenance, and Kori-2 is awaiting government approval for extended operation after its prolonged service.