Upon successful testing and further regulatory certification of the new Shin Kori reactors, South Korea will look to export its nuclear technology across the world, national media reported on Friday, as the country looks to move toward renewable energy sources
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2019) Upon successful testing and further regulatory certification of the new Shin Kori reactors, South Korea will look to export its nuclear technology across the world, national media reported on Friday, as the country looks to move toward renewable energy sources.
The comments came at a ceremony held by the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), to celebrate the achievements of two new APR-1400 pressurized water reactors, called Shin Kori-3 and Shin Kori-4, the Yonhap News Agency reported. The Shin Kori-4 reactor has just completed a two-month pilot program without any complications.
"South Korea's nuclear energy industry advanced to another level through the completion of two reactors," KHNP President Chung Jae-hoon remarked at the event, as quoted by Yonhap.
According to Yonhap, KHNP has been seeking to sell the APR-1400 reactors to other countries, and has already won certification from European and US nuclear regulation bodies. Four reactors have reportedly been sold to the United Arab Emirates so far.
This new generation of reactor is said to have a longer life span and is more resilient to earthquakes. Previously, reactors were built to withstand 6.5 magnitude tremors. The new APR-1400 reactors can endure a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, the report stated.
According to media reports, two more APR-1400 reactors are under construction, and are set to be completed by 2024.
The Shin Kori project began prior to government plans to move away from nuclear and other fossil fuel energy sources. South Korea produced 27 percent of its electricity from nuclear sources in 2017, according to government data cited in the report.
