Reactor Overview
South Korea has a relatively smaller generating stations, only four, but each station houses four or more units, and three sites have more reactors planned. Thus Korea's nuclear power production is slightly more centralized than most nuclear power nations. Housing multiple units at each site allows more efficient maintenance and lower costs, but reduces grid efficiencies. Some of the Wolsong reactors are Pressurized Heavy Water (PHWR) reactors with designs based on Canadian CANDU technology.
In 2013, in response to a petition from local fishermen, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) renamed its Yonggwang as the Hanbit plant, and its Ulchin plant in North Gyeongsang province was renamed as the Hanul plant.
| Plant | Town | Province | Primary Technology | Current Capacity | Planned Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kori | Gijang | Busan | PWR | 4137 | 7937 |
| Hanul (formerly Ulchin) | Uljin | Gyeongbuk | PWR | 5900 | 8700 |
| Wolsong | Gyeongju | Gyeongbuk | PHWR/PWR | 2779 | 4779 |
| Hanbit (formerly Yeonggwang) | Yeonggwang | Jeonnam | PWR | 5900 | 5900 |
| Reactor | Type | Rating, MWe | Start of Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kori-1 | PWR | 587 | 1978 |
| Kori-2 | PWR | 650 | 1983 |
| Kori-3 | PWR | 950 | 1985 |
| Kori-4 | PWR | 950 | 1986 |
| Ulchin-1 | PWR | 950 | 1988 |
| Ulchin-2 | PWR | 950 | 1989 |
| Ulchin-3 | KSNP | 1000 | 1998 |
| Ulchin-4 | KSNP | 1000 | 1999 |
| Ulchin-5 | KSNP | 1000 | 2004 |
| Ulchin-6 | KSNP | 1000 | 2005 |
| Wolsong-1 | CANDU | 679 | 1983 |
| Wolsong-2 | CANDU | 700 | 1997 |
| Wolsong-3 | CANDU | 700 | 1998 |
| Wolsong-4 | CANDU | 700 | 1999 |
| Yeonggwang-1 | PWR | 950 | 1986 |
| Yeonggwang-2 | PWR | 950 | 1987 |
| Yeonggwang-3 | System 80 | 1000 | 1995 |
| Yeonggwang-4 | System 80 | 1000 | 1996 |
| Yeonggwang-5 | KSNP | 1000 | 2002 |
| Yeonggwang-6 | KSNP | 1000 | 2002 |
| Shin Kori 1 | OPR-1000 | 1000 | 2011 |
| Shin Kori 2 | OPR-1000 | 1000 | 2011 |
| Shin Wolsong 1 | OPR-1000 | 1000 | 2012 |
| Shin Wolsong 2 | OPR-1000 | 1000 | 2013 (Under trials) |
| Shin Kori 3 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2013 (Under trials) |
| Shin Kori 4 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2014 (Under construction) |
| Shin Ulchin 1 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2016 (Planned) |
| Shin Ulchin 2 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2017 (Planned) |
| Shin Kori 5 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2018 (Planned) |
| Shin Kori 6 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2019 (Planned) |
| Shin Ulchin 3 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2020 (Planned) |
| Shin Ulchin 4 | APR-1400 | 1400 | 2021 (Planned) |
Research Reactors:
- Aerojet General Nucleonics Model 201 Research Reactor
- HANARO, MAPLE class reactor
- TRIGA General Atomics Mark II (TRIGA-Mark II) Research Reactor
- KSTAR Reactor
Read more about this topic: Nuclear Power In South Korea