On Tuesday, South Korea, decided to permanently shut down another nuclear reactor as part of efforts to reduce dependence on nuclear power and increase sustainable energy sources.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission approved an application to permanently close the Wolsong-1 reactor in Gyeongju, about 370 km South-East of the capital Seoul.

It followed the shutdown of the Kori-1 reactor in 2017.

In February, the shutdown application was made by the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), the country’s nuclear reactor operator.

The Wolsong-1 reactor started commercial operation in 1983, and its 30-year operational license was extended for 10 more years to 2022.

The early closure decision was made amid the falling operational rate and the growing maintenance costs for the decrepit reactor.

Under a long-term energy plan to lower dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power while using more sustainable energy sources, it planned to retire 11 out of its 24 nuclear reactors by the end of 2030.

South Korea aimed to raise the proportion of renewable energy sources to the country’s total power generation to 20 per cent by 2030 and around 30 per cent to 35 per cent by 2040.

In 2017, renewable energy took up just about 7.6 per cent of the country’s total power generation.

Coal-fired thermal power made up 43 per cent, followed by nuclear power accounting for 27 per cent.

 

NAN