Nuclear plant suspension portends a blackout this summer

Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant no.1, 2, 3 and 4 and Shin-Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant no.1 and 2 have reportedly used parts with fabricated test results. Therefore, the government has decided to suspend or delay the operation of the six plants.

Out of its 23 nuclear plants, the country has encountered a large-scale halt of 10 nuclear power plants, including four plants out of order or under repair. Against this backdrop, it is highly likely that Korea will experience the worst ever power shortage from early summer.

In a media briefing on Tuesday, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said that six control cables with fabricated test results were confirmed to have been installed in six nuclear reactors. Control cables are parts that transmit signals to safety system such as nuclear cooling equipment in case of a nuclear accident.

The commission said, “We found that an employee of a domestic test entity in charge of verification asked for a testing of the part in question to a Canadian testing entity and fabricated the negative test result.” The employee and his employer that fabricated the test result are expected to be audited by the Trade, Industry & Energy Ministry and then will be investigated by prosecutors.

The government has decided to suspend the operation of Shin-Kori no.2 plant and Shin-Wolseong no.1 plant and expand the repair period to replace faulty parts of Shin-Kori no.1, which have been under preventive repair since April 8. In addition, as 10 plants stop operation at this point, the supply of 7.72 million kilowatts of electricity, or 37 percent of 20.71 million kilowatts of nuclear plant capacity, is suspended.

The commission said that it will take about six months to replace cables and test safety. “It is inevitable to have the worst ever power shortage this summer because of a sudden suspension of nuclear plant operation. But we’ll do our best to provide a stable electricity supply,” said Han Jin-hyeon, second vice minister at the Trade, Industry & Energy Ministry. The ministry will announce power supply measures within this month after a national policy coordination meeting.

President Park Geun-hye was briefed in the cabinet meeting and said, “The government should clarify the exact cause and locate the responsibility. It is necessary to do your utmost not only to make it transparent but also to take actions to prevent a recurrence.”