Parts problem forced to stop two nuclear power plants in South Korea

The South Korean government announced on the 5th that due to a batch of spare parts with forged safety and quality certificates, which were mixed into 5 nuclear power generating units, it had to order two of them to be shut down. As winter is approaching, the government warns that South Korea may face unprecedented power shortages.

　　Parts certificate is forged

　　 Jeollanam-do Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plant is located about 330 kilometers southwest of the capital Seoul.

　　 The Ministry of Knowledge Economy reported that the problematic parts are mainly consumables such as fuses, switches and cooling fans, which are not core components, but they still need to be replaced for safety reasons. The Minister of Knowledge Economy Hong Xiyu said at a press conference: The two units use a large number of parts that have not been certified, and it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive safety inspection.

　　 Hong Xiyu pointed out that 8 suppliers had forged 60 certificates since 2003, involving 234 types and approximately 7,700 parts, totaling USD 750,000. Five nuclear power plants use approximately 5,200 spare parts.

　　 Hong Xiyu said that the prosecution department will investigate whether there is any complicity within the fake supplier and the state-run South Korean Hydro-Atomic Energy Company. The government will shut down two units of the Lingguang Nuclear Power Plant and replace unqualified parts.

　　 The worst or a nationwide blackout

　　 Korea Hydro-Atomic Energy Corporation operates all 23 reactors in Korea, supplying 35% of the country’s electricity. Hong Xiyu said that the two affected units will be shut down until January next year. If they still cannot resume operation by then, the national power reserve may drop to 300,000 kilowatts, which is one-third less than the target reserve power. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that the worst situation is a large-scale power outage across the country. The South Korean government and hydro-atomic energy companies should quickly formulate measures to deal with this emergency.

　　 South Korea began to use nuclear power to generate electricity in 1978. In the past 10 years, it has shut down 573 times and caused an economic loss of approximately US$400 million.

　　 South Korean people are worried that frequent breakdowns and accidents pose safety risks. However, the South Korean government's ambition to vigorously develop nuclear power and export nuclear power technology has not wavered, and plans to build 16 nuclear power units by 2030.