The Nuclear Power Sector in the Republic of Korea: Nuclear Materials Management/ Fuel Cycle Practices, Plans and Policies Jungmin KANG CISAC, Stanford University 2006 AES Meeting Beijing, China, November 6-7, 2006

Contents The ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario Generation of spent fuels and storage capacities in the ROK Recent issues in the ROK spent fuel management Concluding remarks

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario Figure 1. Nuclear power plants sites in the ROK

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Figure 2. Current and planned nuclear power capacity in the ROK, based on the long-term electricity plan in 2006

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Table 1. Current and planned nuclear power capacity in the ROK Site Unit Type Capacity (MWe) Initial Operation Kori Kori-1 Kori-2 Kori-3 Kori-4 Sinkori-1 Sinkori-2 Sinkori-3 Sinkori-4 PWR 587 650 950 1000 1400 Apr. 1978 Jul. 1983 Sept. 1985 Apr. 1986 Dec. 2010 Dec. 2011 Sept. 2013 Sept. 2014 Yonggwang Yonggwang-1 Yonggwang-2 Yonggwang-3 Yonggwang-4 Yonggwang-5 Yonggwang-6 Aug. 1986 Jun. 1987 Mar. 1995 Jan. 1996 Apr. 2002 Oct. 2002 Ulchin Ulchin-1 Ulchin-2 Ulchin-3 Ulchin-4 Ulchin-5 Ulchin-6 Sinulchin-1 Sinulchin-2 Sept. 1988 Sept. 1989 Aug. 1998 Dec. 1999 Jul. 2004 Jun. 2005 Dec. 2015 Dec. 2016 Wolsong Wolsong-1 Wolsong-2 Wolsong-3 Wolsong-4 CANDU 679 700 Apr. 1983 Jul. 1997 Jul. 1998 Oct. 1999 Sinwolsong-1 Sinwolsong-2 Oct. 2011 Oct. 2012

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Table 2. Number of NPPs in the current sites of the ROK Site Type Current and planned by 2016 Maximum deployable Kori PWR 8 12 Yonggwang 6 Ulchin 10 Wolsong CANDU 4 2

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Table 3. Assumed cases for the conceivable NPPs deployment scenario in the ROK Case Assumption Case 1 No replacement of NPPs once they are decommissioned Case 2 Replacement of NPPs with decommissioned ones in 10 years after shutdown by 2050 (1.4GWe PWRs for decommissioned PWRs while 0.7 Gwe CANDUs for decommissioned CANDUs) Case 3 Replacement of NPPs with decommissioned ones in 10 years after shutdown by 2050 (1.4GWe PWRs for decommissioned PWRs and CANDUs) Case 4 In addition to Case 3, further deployment of eight 1.4GWe PWRs since 2017 (one in each year) (i.e., +4 units at Kori, +2 units at Ulchin, +2 units at Wolsong)

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Table 4. Assumed cases for the conceivable NPPs deployment scenario in the ROK (cont’) Sub-case Assumption Sub-case 1 No life-time extension: 40y for less than 1.0 GWe PWRs, 60y for 1.4GWe PWRs, and 30y for CANDUs Sub-case 2 Life-time extension: 50y for less than 1.0 GWe PWRs, 60y for 1.4GWe PWRs, and 30y for CANDUs Sub-case 3 Life-time extension: 60y for less than 1.0 GWe PWRs, 60y for 1.4GWe PWRs, and 30y for CANDUs Sub-case 4 Life-time extension: 50y for less than 1.0 GWe PWRs, 60y for 1.4GWe PWRs, and 40y for CANDUs Sub-case 5 Life-time extension: 60y for less than 1.0 GWe PWRs, 60y for 1.4GWe PWRs, and 40y for CANDUs

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Figure 3. Installed nuclear capacity in the ROK (case 1)

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Figure 4. Installed nuclear capacity in the ROK (case 2)

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Figure 5. Installed nuclear capacity in the ROK (case 3)

I. ROK nuclear power plants deployment scenario (cont’) Figure 6. Installed nuclear capacity in the ROK (case 4)

II. Generation of spent fuels and storage capacities in the ROK Figure 7. Projection of accumulated spent fuel in the ROK

II. Generation of spent fuels and storage capacities in the ROK (cont’) Table 5. Spent fuel inventories and storage capacities in the ROK as of the end of 2004 Site Unit Accumulated spent fuels (tHM) Current storage capacity (tHM) Year all pools at NPP site filled Kori Kori-1 Kori-2 Kori-3 Kori-4 Sinkori-1 Sinkori-2 Sinkori-3 Sinkori-4 116 254 633 412 209 360 953 485 292 2020 Yonggwang Yonggwang-1 Yonggwang-2 Yonggwang-3 Yonggwang-4 Yonggwang-5 Yonggwang-6 375 332 194 172 47 20 283 279 2012 (The ROK prepared a measure to expand the pool capacities of Yonggwang site to accommodate all the spent fuel discharged from the site till 2016 at least.) Ulchin Ulchin-1 Ulchin-2 Ulchin-3 Ulchin-4 Ulchin-5 Ulchin-6 Sinulchin-1 Sinulchin-2 319 297 127 99 470 370 2017 Wolsong Wolsong-1 Wolsong-2 Wolsong-3 Wolsong-4 2021 710 638 520 827 734 734 + 2040 (dry storage) 2007 (The CANDU spent fuel can be stored at dry storage facilities after stored in the pools for several years.) Sinwolsong-1 Sinwolsong-2 2025

III. Recent issues in the ROK spent fuel management NEC* AEC MOCIE MOST KHNP KAERI Figure 7. Authority bodies regarding spent fuel management in the ROK (* NEC is supposed to be established and have its first meeting in November 2006)

III. Recent issues in the ROK spent fuel management (cont’) Table 5. Functions of the authority bodies regarding spent fuel management in the ROK Authority Functions NEC Decision making authority in national energy and spent fuel management under the ROK President MOCIE Supporting NEC and controlling KHNP KHNP Storage of spent fuel AEC Decision making authority in nuclear energy research and development under the ROK Prime Minister MOST Supporting AEC and controlling KAERI KAERI Nuclear research and development, including R&D, so called advanced nuclear fuel cycles

III. Recent issues in the ROK spent fuel management (cont’) The National Energy Committee (NEC), chaired by the ROK president, established in November 2006, will examine plans for the spent fuel management. The Radwaste Management Division of MOCIE will support the NEC for the work of the spent fuel management. MOCIE appears has not shown much interest in recycling spent fuel. On the other hand, MOST has recently shown much interest in recycling spent fuel, especially in pyroprocessing. I think the operation of Rokkasho reprocessing plants and GNEP influenced in strengthening the MOST’s stance on the recycling policy.

IV. Concluding remarks The ROK should prepare an alternative to acquire additional storage capacity its spent fuel as pools of NPPs sites are running out of their storage capacities roughly within a decade. The newly established National Energy Committee will evaluate alternatives and make policy decisions for the long-term spent fuel management in the ROK.