Shinhanul Unit 1 Begins Test Operation... Countdown to Full-Scale Startup

Vice Minister Park Il-jun Inspects Shin Hanul Unit 1 Site
Test Operation Started After Grid Connection on the 15th
Operation Plan Delayed Over 5 Years Since Moon Administration

A view of Shin Hanul Units 1 and 2 located in Uljin, Gyeongbuk.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Shin Hanul Unit 1, whose completion was delayed during the Moon Jae-in administration, has entered the final countdown for commercial operation. Park Il-jun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited Shin Hanul Unit 1 to emphasize the importance of nuclear power generation.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that Vice Minister Park inspected the test operation site of Shin Hanul Unit 1 on the 18th at the Hanul Nuclear Power Headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power located in Uljin, Gyeongbuk. Earlier, Shin Hanul Unit 1 completed grid connection on the 15th and began test operation. The government plans to fully operate Shin Hanul Unit 1 by September. Vice Minister Park said, "Please make every effort to complete Shin Hanul Units 1 and 2 so that they can contribute to power supply and demand," adding, "Especially since Shin Hanul Unit 1 is currently in test operation, thorough performance inspections including safety must be conducted."

Shin Hanul Unit 1 is a large nuclear power plant with a generation capacity of 1.4GW. The government originally planned to fully operate Shin Hanul Unit 1 in April 2017. However, the Moon Jae-in administration delayed the construction schedule by three years, completing it in April 2020, citing reasons such as safety evaluations and quality enhancement.

As a result, the operation start of Shin Hanul Unit 1 was delayed by more than five years compared to the government’s plan. After its completion in 2020, it only received conditional operation approval in July last year, and the commercial operation date, which was postponed once due to equipment quality issues, was delayed again.

Vice Minister Park Il-jun Presiding Over Summer Power Supply Situation Inspection Meeting
(Seoul=Yonhap News) On July 4, Park Il-jun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, is presiding over the "First Day Power-Related Agencies Situation Inspection Meeting During the Emergency Measures Period for Summer Power Supply" at the Power Supply Situation Room of the Ministry of Industry at the Government Sejong Complex. 2022.7.4 [Provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Resale and DB prohibited]
Photo by Park Il-jun
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In response, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has put great effort into operating Shin Hanul Unit 1. Through the "New Government Energy Policy Direction" announced earlier this month, the government pledged to raise the share and capacity of nuclear power to the 30% range and 28.9MW respectively by 2030. As of the end of last month, Shin Hanul Units 1 and 2, with a progress rate of 99.13%, have a generation capacity of 2.8GW, making them a significant part of the new government’s nuclear policy. This means that the success or failure of the government’s nuclear policy could hinge on the operation timing of Shin Hanul Units 1 and 2.

Vice Minister Park also checked the construction preparation status of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 on the same day. Earlier, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang recently reported to President Yoon Suk-yeol that construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 would resume in 2024. Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 had their construction halted in 2017 due to the Moon Jae-in administration’s "nuclear phase-out" policy but were confirmed to resume under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy holds the view that the necessity of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 is not insignificant, as well as Units 1 and 2. A ministry official explained, "Globally, the energy security crisis and the spread of electric vehicles are expected to further intensify the issue of securing stable power supply," adding, "The role of nuclear power, as a base-load power source, is more important than ever."

Vice Minister Park also mentioned the nuclear power ecosystem that collapsed due to the nuclear phase-out policy. He said, "To actively utilize nuclear power and promote export industrialization, building a robust nuclear power ecosystem is key," and added, "To quickly restore the nuclear ecosystem, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power will actively support early supply of equipment orders and other measures."

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