Review Today by Nuclear Safety Commission on Continued Operation of Gori Unit 2 After Two and a Half Years of Shutdown
First Continued Operation Review Since the Inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung Administration
Shutdown After 40 Years of Operation on April 8, 2023
Expiration of Three Commissioners' Terms Next Month Also a Key Factor
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission will hold a meeting on September 25 to decide whether to approve the continued operation of Unit 2 at the Gori Nuclear Power Plant in Gijang, Busan. This review of continued operation is drawing particular attention as it is the first such deliberation since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration.
Gori Unit 2 began commercial operation on April 9, 1983. It is a pressurized water reactor with an electric output of 685 megawatts (MWe). Among the 10 nuclear power plants for which Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has applied for continued operation, Gori Unit 2 is the first to undergo review. If the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission grants approval, Gori Unit 2 will resume the process of restarting after a two-and-a-half-year shutdown, extending its operational lifespan by 10 years, having surpassed its original 40-year operating license period on April 8, 2023.
Previously, under the Nuclear Safety Act, facilities wishing to continue operation after the expiration of their design lifespan were required to submit a Periodic Safety Review (PSR) report two to five years before the end of the design life.
However, due to the nuclear phase-out policy of the Moon Jaein administration, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power submitted the report and applied for continued operation belatedly on April 4, 2022, one year after the application deadline. The law has since been revised, and now applications for continued operation must be made five to ten years before the end of the design life. On March 30, 2023, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power also applied for the necessary operating license amendment, and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) conducted a safety review through July of this year.
This review of continued operation is the first in 10 years, following similar cases for Gori Unit 1 in 2008 and Wolsong Unit 1 in 2015. It is also the first time the current members of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission are deliberating on continued operation. There are predictions that the commission members, feeling pressured by opposition from anti-nuclear groups regarding the continued operation of Gori Unit 1, may not reach a decision on this day.
Given that in the past three years, the commission has made decisions such as operating licenses, construction permits, and decommissioning approvals at the first meeting, there is also a possibility that the decision may be passed immediately at this meeting.
If the review is not completed on this day, the next meeting will not be held until late October, as the National Assembly audit is scheduled for next month. Another variable is that the terms of several commission members are set to expire soon.
On October 12, Kim Kyuntae, a Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety researcher recommended by the People Power Party, and Jae Moosung, a professor at Hanyang University, will complete their terms. On October 24, Park Chunhong, former president of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials and a member recommended by the Democratic Party, will also finish his term. If new members are appointed, it may take considerable time for them to become familiar with the work. However, as the commission's decision requires approval from five out of nine members, a resolution is still possible even if some members step down.
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If continued operation is approved by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the lifespan of Gori Unit 2 will be extended until April 2033. Taking into account the necessary preparations for operation, it is expected that the reactor could resume operation in a few months, allowing for approximately seven additional years of operation.
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