South Korea is suspending operations at two nuclear reactors for safety reasons, creating a situation that could point to power supply disruptions this winter.
South Korea
is
suspending operations at two nuclear reactors for safety reasons, creating a
situation that could point to power supply disruptions this winter.
The No. 5 and No. 6 reactors at the Younggwang nuclear-power plant will be shut
until the end of this year, as Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. plans to
replace a number of parts to ensure they meet quality norms, the Ministry of
Knowledge Economy said in a statement Monday.
There won't be any significant economic impact from the nuclear reactor
shutdowns and the ministry is taking precautionary steps to prevent the country
from having to resort to rolling blackouts to keep consumption levels under
limit, as it had to do in September last year, said a ministry spokesman.
The state-run operator recently discovered that some parts suppliers had forged
quality certification documents; it plans to "fully replace" affected
parts, the ministry said.
Five of the country's nuclear reactors have been using parts that will
eventually have to be replaced, it said.
Nuclear-power plants account for around a quarter of
Korea
's
generation facilities, according to KHNP. The two idled reactors account for
around a tenth of the country's nuclear power, or 2%-3% of the country's total
power generation, based on Dow Jones Newswires calculations.
South Korea will have 16 nuclear reactors operating normally once the two units
at Younggwang are shut, an official with KHNP said by telephone Monday.
The ministry said it plans to address potential power-supply shortages this
winter due to the unplanned reactor shutdowns. It will set up an emergency task
force to deal with the situation, it said.
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:58
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:54
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:32
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:27
Τρι, 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 20:01