Two Large-Scale Nuclear Reactors to be Built in Yeongdeok, SMR in Gijang

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Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang Province has been selected as the site for two new large-scale nuclear reactors. As the region was previously considered for a nuclear power plant, the project is expected to proceed more quickly. Meanwhile, the Small Modular Reactor (SMR), being introduced for the first time, will be built in Gijang, Busan.

Reporter Jang Seon-i has the story.

[Reporter]

Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang Province and Ulju in Ulsan had been competing to host the two new large-scale nuclear reactors.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) held a site selection committee meeting yesterday (June 17) and finalized Yeongdeok as the location.

Previously, the government announced plans to build two large-scale nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 2.8GW and one 0.7GW Small Modular Reactor (SMR), in accordance with the 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand finalized in February of last year.

Yeongdeok was originally selected as a nuclear plant site in 2012 during the Lee Myung-bak administration, but the project was scrapped under the Moon Jae-in administration's nuclear phase-out policy.

The site has been considered advantageous because nearly 20% of the land acquisition was already completed, with over 80% of local residents in favor of the project.

This is expected to reduce the necessary procedures, costs, and time.

The goal is to complete the new nuclear plants between 2037 and 2038, which is expected to help meet the growing power demand driven by the expansion of the artificial intelligence and semiconductor industries.

[Choi Sung-min / President of the Korean Nuclear Society: Globally, electricity demand is increasing rapidly due to AI data centers and electrification for carbon neutrality. South Korea, which possesses world-class nuclear power industry capabilities, already has the execution power to expand its nuclear energy sector.]

Gijang in Busan was selected as the site for the first domestic SMR, beating out Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province.

Gijang had highlighted its advantage of having existing nuclear industry infrastructure, as it is home to the Kori Unit 2, 3, and 4 reactors.

While this site selection is expected to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power plants, environmental groups are likely to protest, arguing that the sites were decided without first establishing measures for radioactive waste.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.