[Exclusive] Hanwoolwon Pushes Forward with 'Temporary Radioactive Waste Site' Despite Outside Director Opposition

On the 28th Board Meeting, 'Basic Plan (Draft) for Construction of Dry Storage Facility for Gori Spent Nuclear Fuel' Submitted... Passage Uncertain Due to Outside Directors' Opposition
Integrated Design of Dry Storage Facilities for Spent Nuclear Fuel at Gori, Hanbit, and Hanul Nuclear Power Sites Promoted
Permanent High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility Construction Stalled for Decades... 'Temporary Disposal Site' Becoming De Facto Permanent

Panoramic view of Gori Nuclear Power Plant located in Gijang-gun, Busan.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporters Kim Hyewon and Lee Junhyung] Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is pushing ahead with the construction of dry storage facilities, referred to as 'temporary disposal sites,' at the Gori Nuclear Power Plant and the Hanbit and Hanul nuclear power plant sites despite opposition from outside directors.

According to industry sources on the 26th, KHNP will present the 'Basic Plan (Draft) for the Construction of Dry Storage Facilities for Spent Nuclear Fuel at Gori' as an agenda item at the board meeting scheduled for the 28th. Initially, KHNP intended to address this agenda at the September board meeting, the first since the inauguration of new President Hwang Juho, but all outside directors raised concerns, preventing its submission. Although the board meeting is being held again after a month, it is reported that non-standing directors, including the chairperson, still oppose the plan, making it uncertain whether the issue will be put to a vote.

According to our comprehensive investigation, the 'Gori Basic Plan' submitted by KHNP includes constructing large-scale dry storage facilities with a total capacity of 23,239 bundles across the three nuclear power headquarters: Gori, Hanbit, and Hanul. Unlike the heavy-water reactor at Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, the dry storage facility at Gori, a light-water reactor, will mark the first establishment of a 'temporary disposal site.'

Details of the basic plan include operating dry storage facilities on-site from 2030 at Gori and from 2031 at Hanbit and Hanul. However, the project budget is secured first for Gori, which will be prioritized, while Hanbit and Hanul will apply for a preliminary feasibility study after calculating the total project cost. While Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant constructed dry storage facilities in segments following public discussions and social consensus procedures, Gori, Hanbit, and Hanul will integrate design, licensing, manufacturing, and operation from the initial construction phase.

Outside directors of KHNP agree that securing dry storage facilities is inevitable considering the saturation rates of spent nuclear fuel at each nuclear power headquarters. However, they argue that it is unreasonable for the board to approve this agenda amid the government's unclear plans for establishing a permanent disposal site. The basic plan estimates a project cost of 577.6 billion KRW but does not include support funds to appease local residents' opposition.

The core of the 'Basic Plan (Draft) for the Construction of Dry Storage Facilities for Spent Nuclear Fuel at Gori' submitted by KHNP to this board meeting is that it leaves open the possibility of new construction and expansion of dry storage facilities. The plan explicitly states that 'if continued operation, new nuclear power plant construction, or delays in the operation of interim storage facilities occur, a recalculation of costs will be necessary.' This means that if the amount of spent nuclear fuel increases due to continued operation or if the establishment of interim storage facilities is delayed, there is room to expand the newly built dry storage facilities at any time. This is why there are concerns that dry storage facilities might effectively be used as permanent disposal facilities.

According to the government roadmap, the permanent disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste is expected to be secured by 2060. If KHNP proceeds with the planned construction of the dry storage facility at Gori starting in 2027 and begins operation in 2030, high-level radioactive waste will need to be stored in the dry storage facility for at least 30 years. The situation is similar for the dry storage facilities at Hanbit and Hanul, scheduled to begin operation in 2031.

‘Temporary Facilities’ Only... Permanent High-Level Disposal Site Securing Stalled

The problem is that dry storage facilities are only 'temporary' storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel discharged after nuclear power plant operation. Dry storage facilities such as MACSTOR and canisters have limited capacity for storing spent nuclear fuel and are constructed exposed above ground, making the storage method incomplete. Being built above ground makes them vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as military attacks. Therefore, to completely dispose of spent nuclear fuel, it must be transferred from dry storage facilities to interim storage facilities and finally stored in permanent disposal facilities (disposal sites).

The best solution is to build a disposal site, but the process has been challenging since the site selection stage. The government initially sought disposal sites from the 1980s but faced opposition from local residents and civic groups, resulting in little progress until recently. Consequently, Korea's nuclear industry has relied on temporary storage facilities akin to 'portable toilets' for nearly 45 years since the first nuclear power plant, Gori Unit 1, began operation in 1978.

Concerns are growing as the government estimates that the period for constructing the disposal site is likely to be extended. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the competent authority, expects that it will take at least 37 years from the start of the disposal site securing process to the completion of the permanent disposal facility. Specifically, the permanent disposal facility will require 13 years for site selection, 14 years for underground research facility construction and demonstration research, and can only begin construction after 27 years. However, since disposal sites are highly contentious issues with strong local opposition and tend to become politicized during political events, it is widely expected that the government will not complete site selection within 13 years.

Critical Point from 2031... KHNP’s Difficult Path Despite Desperate Measures

KHNP appears to have devised a desperate measure by leaving open the possibility of new construction and expansion of dry storage facilities. The urgency stems from the fact that if dry storage facilities are not secured in time, nuclear power plants will have to be sequentially shut down starting in 2031. As of the end of last month, the saturation rates of wet storage pools inside the plants for spent nuclear fuel at Gori and Hanbit nuclear power plants were 85.9% and 75.7%, respectively, reaching their limits by 2031. The following year, the saturation rate at Hanul Nuclear Power Plant (82%) will also reach 100%.

Given this situation, calls for the government to accelerate securing disposal sites are growing louder. The costs associated with politically sensitive disposal site construction, which each administration has avoided like a 'hot potato,' will ultimately be borne by future generations. Especially since the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has increased nuclear power plant operation rates and resumed construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4, the amount of spent nuclear fuel discharged will inevitably continue to rise. This means the saturation points for Gori and Hanbit nuclear power plants, scheduled for 2031, could arrive earlier than expected.

There is also a view that KHNP must secure procedural legitimacy such as social consensus during the construction of dry storage facilities. While the disposal of spent nuclear fuel is an urgent issue, forcibly constructing dry storage facilities without consensus from local residents and others could lead to backlash. Under current law, dry storage facilities can be constructed without public discussion, but this could increase local opposition. This is a concern shared by KHNP’s outside directors.

Cost burden is another issue. KHNP creates a 'Radioactive Waste Management Fund' by paying a certain management fee each time spent nuclear fuel is discharged. The management fees imposed on KHNP over the past 10 years amount to approximately 6.13 trillion KRW and will be used for disposal site construction and other purposes. Although the fund’s goal is waste management, the multi-trillion-won construction costs for dry storage facilities and local compensation must be covered entirely by KHNP’s own budget. Following a request from KHNP’s outside directors, recent legal advice from the Korea Legal Aid Corporation under the Ministry of Justice reportedly suggested that the construction costs for dry storage facilities could constitute a 'double burden.'

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