South Korea starts the decommissioning process for the Wolseong 1 reactor

South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission has started the approval process for decommissioning the Wolseong 1 reactor. The decommissioning license should be ready by the beginning of next year. The decommissioning review for the reactor began in 2022 and should be completed in the next few months. Experts believe that the approval of the project will boost the country’s nuclear decommissioning sector.
Decommissioning a nuclear power plant is a long and demanding process. It takes at least 15 years and is organised in four phases: pre-shutdown preparation (2 years), safety management and spent fuel removal (5 years), actual decommissioning (6 years), and site restoration (2 years). According to South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the entire process for a single nuclear reactor cost 872.6 billion won ($600 million). In the coming decades, the country will decommission 30 reactors, creating a domestic market worth around 26 trillion won. However, South Korean companies like Hyundai E&C and Daewoo E&C are also looking at an expanding global decommissioning market, with over 500 reactors expected to cease operations by 2050 for an estimated worth of 500 trillion won ($350 billion). Therefore, the decommissioning of the Wolseong 1 reactor (also known as the Gori No. 1 reactor) is an important step for acquiring experience and winning future contracts abroad. The reactor was shut down in 2017, and KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering will conduct the system decontamination. This process is crucial because it reduces radiation levels to a safe threshold before the dismantling and remediation of the site. A company official said they aim to acquire experience in decommissioning heavy water reactors before expanding their presence on the global market.