| No. 2 nuclear reactor at the new Weolseong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province |
By Lee Hyo-sik
The second reactor at the new Weolseong nuclear power plant in Gyeongju, 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has successfully been in commercial operation since July 24, helping power authorities meet increased demand for electricity during the summer.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), which operates the power plant, said Sunday that the No. 2 reactor, capable of generating 7.9 billion kilowatts of electricity annually, has performed without a glitch over the past month, proving the safety and operational reliability of Korea's nuclear reactors.
"It took nearly ten years to build and begin commercially operating the second New Weolseong reactor," a KHNP official said. "We conducted a successful test run from November last year to July. The reactor passed all the required tests."
With the second new Weolseong reactor in operation, Korea now has a total of 24 reactors, which were built along its coastlines, making KHNP the world's third-largest nuclear power operator after France's EDF and Russia's Rosatom. The reactors are able to produce a combined 21,716 million watts of electricity annually, accounting for 22.5 percent of the nation's entire power capacity.
"The latest reactor can meet nearly 13 percent of the power demand in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. The facility will significantly help meet the growing electricity demand in the region in the coming years," the official said. "We invested 5.31 trillion won over the past ten years to build and operate the reactor. The construction project created jobs for six million people and provided a significant boost to the regional economy."
He then said the second new Weolseong reactor has enabled KHNP to meet surging power demand during this summer.
"Since July, we have been running a contingency team, which has been monitoring movements in power demand 24 hours a day," he said. "We have also established a hot line with other agencies to more effectively cope with sudden changes in electricity use. We will continue to do our best to safely operate nuclear power plants and provide electricity at lower costs."
Korean Language
24번째 원전 '신월성 2호기' 상업운전 시작
국내 24번째 원자력발전소 '신월성 2호기'가 24일 상업운전에 들어갔다고 한국수력원자력이 밝혔다.
개선형 한국표준형원전(OPR1000)인 신월성 2호기는 2005년 10월 공사를 시작해 10년 만에 상업운전을 시작하게 됐다.
지난해 11월 연료를 장전한 뒤 단계별 출력상승 시험, 원자로·터빈발전기 성능시험 등 8개월 동안 시운전으로 안전성을 확인하고 사용 전 검사에서 합격 통보를 받았다.
상업운전은 모든 시운전 시험을 성공적으로 마치고 정부의 승인을 받아 상업 목적으로 발전설비를 운전하는 것을 말한다.
이로써 국내 가동 원전은 모두 24기(고리 6기, 한빛 6기, 월성 6기, 한울 6기)로 늘었다.
원전 발전설비 용량은 2만1천716MW로 증가해 국내 전체 발전설비 용량(9만6천681MW)의 약 22.5%를 점유하게 됐다.
신월성 2호기의 연간 전력 생산량은 대구·경북 지역 1년 전력 사용량의 약 13%인 79억kWh로, 앞으로 안정적 전력 수급에 기여할 것으로 기대된다.
총 사업비 5조3천100억원이 투입된 신월성 1·2호기 건설 사업은 지역경제 활성화는 물론, 연인원 약 600만명 이상의 고용창출 효과와 지역 지원사업 등 7천억원 이상의 경제적 파급효과를 거둔 것으로 평가된다. (연합뉴스)