NSSC Approves Restart of Hanbit Unit 3 After Regular Inspection

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) announced on September 1 that it has approved the restart of Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, which has been undergoing a regular inspection since July 4.

Yonhap News Agency

On this day, the NSSC authorized Hanbit Unit 3 to achieve criticality. Criticality refers to the state in which a sustained nuclear chain reaction occurs in the reactor, resulting in a stable number of neutrons. A reactor that has reached a critical state can be operated safely under controlled conditions.

The NSSC explained that, during this regular inspection, it conducted inspections on 86 out of a total of 97 items that needed to be completed before reaching criticality, and confirmed that the reactor could safely achieve criticality going forward.

In addition, during this inspection period, equipment such as auxiliary and startup transformers were replaced, a comprehensive containment building leak rate test was conducted, and safety-related pump tests were performed. The commission confirmed that these equipment replacements and tests were carried out in accordance with relevant standards.

The NSSC stated that it will conduct 11 additional follow-up inspections, including a power ascension test, to finally confirm the safety of the unit.

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