NSSC Decides to Add 'Macster' Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel at Wolseong (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] An additional spent nuclear fuel storage facility (MACSTOR) will be constructed at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk.

On the 10th, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission held its 113th meeting at the Wolsong Office in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, and approved the 'Wolsong Units 1-4 Operation Change Permit' for the additional construction of the MACSTOR by vote.

Spent nuclear fuel refers to materials that have been used as fuel in a nuclear power plant reactor. Spent nuclear fuel removed from the reactor is first stored in a wet storage facility. After several years, when the heat of the spent nuclear fuel has sufficiently cooled, it is transferred to a dry storage facility for temporary storage, and one type of such temporary storage facility is the MACSTOR.

On this day, 6 out of 8 commissioners, more than half, voted in favor of the additional construction of the MACSTOR, confirming the decision. This comes about four years after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) obtained the operation change permit in April 2016.

Among the commissioners, Chairman Eom Jae-sik, Secretary General Jang Bo-hyun, and Commissioners Kim Jae-young, Lee Kyung-woo, Lee Byung-ryeong, and Jang Chan-dong expressed opinions supporting the approval of the MACSTOR expansion, while Commissioners Kim Ho-cheol and Jin Sang-hyun argued that the agenda should be reconsidered.

Previously, KHNP had planned to build a total of 14 MACSTOR units but constructed only 7 initially due to economic feasibility and has been using them since 2010. As of June last year, the MACSTOR storage rate within the Wolsong headquarters was 92.2%, and it was predicted that the MACSTOR would reach saturation by November 2021.

Experts within the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission have been divided between the position that the construction of the MACSTOR should be expedited for safe nuclear power plant operation and the position that the review of the MACSTOR expansion is premature, leading to ongoing discussions.

In November last year, at the 111th meeting, the commission discussed the agenda but failed to reach a conclusion and decided to review it again in subsequent meetings.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.