Review Committee to Announce Decision on Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant MACSTOR Expansion in Gyeongju on the 24th

The view of Naari, Yangnam-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, located about 2 km away from the Wolseong Nuclear Power Headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, where Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Units 2 to 4 are situated. (Photo by Moon Chae-seok)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee (Review Committee) announced that it will present the results of local opinion gathering regarding the expansion of the Phase 2 spent nuclear fuel interim storage facility (Macster) at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant on the 24th at 10 a.m. at the Gampo-eup Welfare Center in Gampo-eup, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Representatives from the Review Committee and the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Regional Implementation Organization will attend the event on site.

The Review Committee held its 31st regular meeting on the 22nd and decided to promptly announce the survey results considering the local situation of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant, according to a statement on the 23rd.

Earlier, the Review Committee and the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Regional Implementation Organization conducted a two-day comprehensive discussion on the 18th and 19th with 145 citizen participants to gather opinions on whether to expand the Macster.

The survey results were sealed by the survey agency, Korea Competency Association Consulting, and delivered to the Regional Implementation Organization. After passing through Gyeongju City, the results were submitted to the Review Committee on the 21st.

Based on the gathered opinions, the Review Committee will communicate the policy direction regarding the expansion. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will make the final policy decision on the expansion based on the Review Committee’s proposal. The Ministry will not immediately approve the expansion upon receiving the Review Committee’s recommendation.

A banner hung at Daebon Samgeori, Daebon-ri, Gampo-eup, near the Gampo-eup Welfare Center, Gampo-eup, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the announced location for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee's announcement on the expansion of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant MACSTOR at 10 a.m. on the 24th. (Photo by Moon Chaeseok)

Previously, on May 21, the Review Committee reported that the Korean Radioactive Waste Society (KRWS) predicted that the Macster at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant would reach saturation around March 2022. According to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Wolseong Headquarters, technically, expanding the Macster takes at least 1 year and 7 months (19 months). Counting backward, construction would need to start next month.

If construction is delayed and there is no place to store spent nuclear fuel, Units 2 to 4 of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant (which produce 21.9% of the electricity for Daegu and Gyeongbuk) may have to be shut down.

Spent nuclear fuel is removed from the reactor and cooled in wet storage pools for 5 to 6 years. Afterwards, it is transferred to dry storage facilities such as canisters, which are cylindrical concrete structures, and Macsters, which are rectangular structures, to dissipate heat.

If the survey results show support and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy decides to proceed with the expansion, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Wolseong Headquarters will immediately file a construction notification for the Macster expansion at the Yangnam-myeon Office in Gyeongju City. Once the Yangnam-myeon Office accepts the notification, the administrative procedures for the Macster expansion will be complete. According to the Ministry, it is unlikely that the Ministry will overturn the residents’ deliberation process and the Review Committee’s decision.

A Review Committee official stated, "The construction notification is not a permit but a form of acceptance," and added, "This announcement focuses on the discussion regarding the Macster expansion at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant, and the mid- to long-term management plan for spent nuclear fuel will be discussed again later."

The controversy over the expansion of the spent nuclear fuel storage facility (MACSTOR), which is 70-80% the size of a soccer field, is causing a nationwide uproar. (Photo by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power)

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