6 Feb (NucNet): South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission has approved the start of the Shin-Kori-4 nuclear unit near Busan in the southeast of the country, it said in a statement.
The 1,340-MW domestic APR-1400 pressurised water reactor has been under construction since August 2009.
The unit was initially expected to enter commercial operation in 2018. However, construction was delayed several times because of seismic safety reassessments, design changes, and the 2017 decision by the government to suspend construction of new nuclear plants because of a proposed phaseout strategy. The suspension was later overturned due to public opposition.
Cold and hot testing were completed at Shin-Kori-4 in 2015 and 2016. Fuel is yet to be loaded into the reactor core.
The commission said another inspection will be carried out before the unit is allowed to physically go online.
There are three units in commercial operation at the Shin-Kori site. Units 1 and 2 are 996-MW OPR-1000 PWRs, while Unit 3 is an APR-1400. Three more units are under construction, Shin-Kori-4, -5, and -6, all of the APR-1400 design.
