South Korea granted on Thursday a construction permit for two new nuclear reactors on the east coast of South Korea, eight years after the application was submitted.
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) approved proposals from Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) to build the Shin-Hanul 3 and 4 reactors in Uljin, located about 224 km southeast of Seoul.
The approval marked the first construction permit for nuclear reactors issued since 2016, when authorities gave the green light for the Sae-ul 3 and 4 reactors in Ulsan.
The two new units will be 1,400-megawatt pressurized water reactors, similar to four other operating reactors, including Sae-ul 1 and 2.
The NSSC said that it confirmed the safety of the new reactors based on reviews of previous reactors and by examining design differences, particularly the latest technical standards applied to the new units.
South Korea currently operates 26 nuclear reactors, with Sae-ul 3 and 4 still under construction.
In 2023, South Korea’s nuclear
plants generated 180,494 gigawatt hours of electricity, accounting for 30.7 percent of the country’s total power output, according to the KHNP.
Source: Qatar News Agency