Withstanding Earthquake
The seismic performance of the core facilities of the Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 5 and 6 will be strengthened to withstand a 7.4-magnitude earthquake. That of 24 nuclear power plants currently operating will also be upgraded to 7.0.
On November 7, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) announced the Safety Construction and Operation Measures for Nuclear Power Plants focusing on these contents which consists of three major directions and 16 tasks.
Korea hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) resumed the construction of Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6, and will strengthen their seismic performance such as nuclear reactor control to 0.5g (7.4) from the current 0.3g (7.0). In addition, a cyber power plant with 3D and virtual reality technology will be built to prevent errors in the design and construction phases and an intelligent closed-circuit TV (CCTV) system will be applied to construction sites. Opportunities for direct monitoring will be also provided if the people want to. Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 are scheduled to complete the evaluation of the construction phase by the end of June of next year and complete the evaluation of the operation phase by June of 2020.
KHNP decided to enhance the seismic performance of 24 nuclear power plants in service from 0.2g (magnitude of 6.5) to 0.3g (magnitude of 7.0). The company will also replace steam generators at nuclear power plants which operated for more than 20 years. They are steam generators of Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 to 6 and reactor heads of Kori Unit 2 and Hanwool Units 1 and 2.
In the case of nuclear fuels, KHNP began R&D activities to enhance their durability. The technology is expected to be commercialized in 2025. KHNP predicted that the technology will be able to delay the process of an accident for up to 5 hours if the accident occurs.
The measures to strengthen the safety of nuclear power plants in operation include the development of an automatic prediction system, the utilization of artificial intelligence robots, the establishment of a complex disaster response center for emergencies with seismic isolation and radiation blocking functions, the development of a disaster evacuation application for smartphones and the reconstruction of disaster-stricken infrastructure.
To top it off, KHNP decided to disclose its information such as construction permit documents and nuclear technology information as much as possible after judging that transparent administration was needed in order to restore public trust in the company. It is expected that the Information Trust Center with the participation of nuclear experts and NGOs will be newly established and make decisions on whether or not to disclose information.