Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Withdraws Proposal for 'Temporary Radioactive Waste Facility'... Expected to Reattempt in December

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's 'Dry Storage Facility Basic Plan'... Excluded from Board Agenda on 28th

A panoramic view of the Gori Nuclear Power Plant located in Gijang-gun, Busan.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) abruptly withdrew the agenda item centered on the construction of a dry storage facility within the Gori Nuclear Power Plant just one day before the board meeting. This was due to opposition expressed by KHNP’s non-executive directors and strong resistance from the local community. KHNP is expected to resubmit the agenda at the board meeting scheduled for early December.

According to related government departments on the 27th, KHNP will not present the “Basic Plan (Draft) for the Construction of a Dry Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel at Gori” as an agenda item at the board meeting on the 28th. Initially, KHNP planned to review the plan to build a dry storage facility on the Gori nuclear power site at this month’s board meeting. On the morning of the day before the meeting, KHNP re-notified the board members of the meeting agenda excluding the Gori basic plan.

KHNP’s decision to postpone the agenda submission is largely because the basic plan is unlikely to pass the board’s approval. Previously, KHNP attempted to process the agenda at the board meeting held at the end of last month, but all outside directors raised issues, preventing its submission. It is reported that most outside directors still oppose the basic plan.

Local Community 'Opposition'

The local community’s opposition is also significant. When KHNP’s plan to build dry storage facilities not only at Gori but also at Hanbit and Hanul nuclear power plants became known, civic groups repeatedly held protests to voice their opposition. In particular, civic groups from the Busan and Ulsan areas, where the Gori nuclear power plant is located, held a joint press conference the day before to express their resistance.

The reason for the local community’s opposition is simple. KHNP left room in the basic plan to newly build or expand dry storage facilities. The basic plan explicitly states that “recalculation of (costs) is necessary in case of continued operation, new nuclear power plant construction, or delay in the operation of interim storage facilities.” This means that if the amount of spent nuclear fuel increases due to continued operation of nuclear plants or if the construction of interim storage facilities is delayed, there is always the possibility to expand the newly built dry storage facilities.

"Expected to be Resubmitted at December Board Meeting"

This is also why there are concerns that the dry storage facility might effectively be used as a permanent disposal facility. According to the government roadmap, a permanent disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste is expected to be completed no earlier than around 2060. If KHNP proceeds with the planned construction of the Gori dry storage facility 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 planned for Hanbit and Hanul nuclear power plants, scheduled to begin operation in 2031.

However, KHNP’s management is firmly committed to building the dry storage facility. If the facility is not secured in time, nuclear power plant operations may have to be sequentially halted starting in 2031. As of the end of last month, the saturation rates of wet storage pools inside the Gori and Hanbit nuclear power plants, where spent nuclear fuel is stored, were 85.9% and 75.7%, respectively, reaching their limits by 2031. The following year, the saturation rate at Hanul nuclear power plant (82.%) is also expected to reach 100%. President Hwang recently emphasized that the construction of the dry storage facility is “a responsibility entrusted to me.”

Accordingly, there is speculation that KHNP will resubmit the basic plan at the board meeting scheduled for early December. KHNP is currently in the process of appointing new outside directors as the terms of the current ones expire, and most outside directors are expected to be replaced soon. If the outside directors opposing the basic plan are largely replaced, the agenda is likely to pass at the next board meeting. KHNP is also pursuing changes to internal directors.

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