KHNP to build two new APR-1400 units in South Korea. Preparatory work to begin this year

Two new nuclear units at South Korea’s Shin Hanul power plant have received construction permits from the authorities. KHNP will begin preparatory construction work on units 3 and 4, which will feature APR-1400 reactors, later this year. The project to complete the two units at Shin Hanul was halted in 2017 because of a negative political stance toward nuclear energy.

South Korean energy company Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced that the state Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) had approved construction permits for Shin Hanul 3 and Shin Hanul 4. The new units, which will use APR-1400 pressurized water reactors, have an installed capacity of 1400 MW (gross) and 1340 MW (net).

Last year, KHNP signed contracts for the supply of components with Doosan Enerbility and Hyundai. The new units are expected to begin operation in 2032-2033, a decade later than originally expected.

  “As Shin Hanul units 3 and 4, known as a symbol of the revival of nuclear energy, have recently received construction permits, we will take responsibility for building a nuclear power plant with the highest level of safety,” said Choi Il-kyung, head of KHNP’s construction and business division.

South Korea already operates four APR-1400 units at the Shin-Hanul (units 1 and 2) and Shin Kori (units 3 and 4) power plants. Another four units are under construction. In addition to those now approved at Shin Hanul, KHNP is also building two APR-1400 units at Shin-Kori (units 5 and 6). In September this year, the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE reached an important milestone, successfully beginning operation of the fourth South Korean APR-1400 unit.

Five-year pause in preparations

KHNP applied for construction permits for the two new units at Shin-Hanul in 2016. However, it halted the project in 2017 in response to the policy of phasing out nuclear power generation pursued by former South Korean president Moon Jae-in. After taking office in 2022, new president Yoon Suk-yeol reversed the previous plan, and KHNP also restarted preparations for units 3 and 4.

Because of the five-year pause in the construction permit process, the nuclear regulator also had to take newly applicable technical standards into account when granting approval. The authority also assessed site safety and the risks of landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis and other hazards as part of its review.

“We confirm the safety of Shin Hanul units 3 and 4 based on our experience assessing the safety of previous units. We focused on reviewing design differences from previous nuclear power plants and applied the latest technical standards,” the NSSC said in a press release.