Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) President Cho Seok, Director-General Yoo 

Yeon-baek of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), and other KHNP officials 

pose together at a ceremony to celebrate the installation of the reactor of the fully homegrown 

nuclear power plant, Shin-Hanul Unit 1, at the construction site at Deokcheon-ri, Buk-myeon,

 Ulchin-gun, Gyeongsongbuk-do on April 30. (Photo: KHNP)

The reactor of the fully homegrown nuclear power plant, Shin-Hanul Unit 1, was successfully installed at the construction site at Deokcheon-ri, Buk-myeon, Ulchin-gun, Gyeongsongbuk-do, marking the halfway point of Korea’s goal to build a nuclear power plant brand totally on its own.

Among those present at a ceremony to install the Generation III nuclear reactor system, the APR-1400 (Advanced Power Reactor), at the Shin-Hanul Unit 1, on April 30 were Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) President Cho Seok, Director-General Yoo Yeon-baek of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), and CEOs of the companies participating in the project, including KEPCO E&C, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Korea Nuclear Fuel, Hyundai E&C, SK E&C and GS E&C. 

Shin-Hanul Unit 1 is being built using only Korea’s homegrown technology. Shin-Hanul Unit 1 is the third APR-1400 reactor following Shin-Kori Units 3&4. Four nuclear power units in the United Arab Emirates are also built using the APR-1400 reactor. The Shin-Hanul Units 1&2 will be also fitted with coolant pumps and measurement and control systems, all commercialized with homegrown Korean technology. Their design lifespan will be extended from the current 40 years to 60 years, leading to a 10 percent reduction in unit power generation prices. 

Shin-Hanul Units 1&2 will be the first nuclear power units to be built in Korea with safety standards that have been reinforced in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power disaster. Improvement requirements, recommended as a result of in-depth inspections into Korean nuclear units following the Japanese nuclear disaster, are reflected from the design stage. They are designed to be earthquake-resistant against a greater than 7 magnitude earthquake. The reactor, measuring 4.7 meters in diameter, 14.8 meters in height, and weighing about 438 tons, was manufactured and delivered by Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co. according to the design by KHNP. 

The installation of the reactor is a key process in building a nuclear power unit, shifting from structural construction to mechatronics work.  

The Shin-Hanul Units 1&2 are to be connected to the power grid for commercial operation in April 2017 and February 2018, respectively. 

President Cho Seok of Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. 

A Reborn KHNP — a leap forward for “The Founding of the 2nd KHNP’

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. announced on April 2 the launch of its “NEW START” movement, which is promoting “Sharing, Communication, and Future” as the three core strategies to restore national trust on the 13th anniversary of its foundation.

KHNP CEO Cho pledged that KHNP would be reborn as a global green energy leader by establishing a clean corporate culture based on safe operations. He also emphasized in his opening remarks that KHNP will steel itself to transform itself while building momentum for further structural reforms.

To achieve this, KHNP promised to make the first week of April “a week for sharing with the neighborhood,” and to spread company-wide sharing activities joined by every office as part of the “Sharing” strategy to promote its social responsibility. On April 3, staff working at the KHNP Seoul office, including CEO Cho and union head Lee In-hee, visited the Seoul Welfare Center for the Elderly located in Jongro-gu, Seoul, to provide food to users of the center, many of whom are senior citizens with no one to rely on. All KHNP offices, including the nuclear, hydro, and pumped storage power offices, joined in and facilitated large-scale sharing activities, such as bathing the elderly in the welfare facilities, environmental purification activities, and providing household help and repairs for senior citizens who live alone, in about 20 regions across the country.

KHNP is also taking the lead in sharing activities with SMEs, with the goal of achieving cooperative growth. KHNP also signed the “KHNP Industrial Innovation Movement 3.0” agreement with representatives from 31 SMEs on April 2. By investing a total of 3 billion won in 150 SMEs by 2017, this movement can be considered a “New Saemaeul Movement” that aims to assist in the sustainable business viability of SMEs.