Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP)on 14 May submitted an application to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) for approval to dismantle unit 1 of the Kori NPP, which was permanently shut down in June 2017. Such applications must be submitted with the final dismantling plan, a quality assurance plan for dismantling, and the result of a public consultation among residents.
KHNP said it had developed the final dismantling plan and quality assurance plan in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations between August 2020 and March this year. It had also completed the process of collecting residents' opinions, including public announcements and public hearings. KHNP President Jung Jae-hoon, said, "We will faithfully take part in the decommissioning safety review and make thorough preparations for safe and economical dismantling of the nuclear power plant. Kori1 will be the first South Korean reactor to enter decommissioning.
The 576 MWe Kori 1, a pressurised water reactor, began commercial operation in 1978. Its original 30-year design life, which ended in 2007, was extended by an additional ten years. KHNP announced in August 2015 it had withdrawn its application to further extend the unit's operating licence and in June 2016 it applied to decommission the reactor. NSSC approved permanent shutdown of Kori 1 in 2017, after which KHNP was required to submit a decommissioning plan within five years.
In September 2017, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) signed contracts with several Korean companies, including Korean Electric Power Company (Kepco) Plant Service & Engineering and Doosan, to develop technologies for dismantling facilities and equipment, as well as land contamination measurement technology. These companies will also develop technologies for modelling the dismantling of the plant, chemical decontamination and waste disposal processes. KAERI expects it to take more than 15 years to dismantle the Kori 1.
