Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Nuclear Energy News .




CIVIL NUCLEAR
Scandal prompts S. Korea to probe all nuclear reactors
by Staff Writers
Seoul (AFP) Nov 7, 2012


South Korea's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday it would carry out a rigorous inspection of all the country's 23 reactors after a scandal involving unvetted components fuelled public fears about nuclear safety.

On Monday the government said it was shutting down two reactors fitted with thousands of parts that had been provided with forged quality and safety warranties.

The two affected units at the Yeonggwang nuclear complex may remain offline until early January, causing severe power shortages during the harsh winter.

"All 23 nuclear reactors in operation and five other reactors under construction will be scrutinised," Shim Eun-Jung, spokeswoman for the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, told AFP.

"This kind of an extensive probe is rare," she said, adding that the commission had set up an investigation team of nearly 60 private and state experts.

The watchdog will also look into possible collusion by officials in the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) with the suppliers who faked the quality certificates.

KHNP president Kim Kyun-Seop told a parliamentary hearing Wednesday that he would willingly resign once the situation had been resolved.

"I'm ready to step down any time... I will not cling to my post. I will take all the responsibility," Kim said.

Kim Joong-Kyum, the CEO of power utility Korea Electric Power Corp which owns KHNP -- had also offered to resign, the economy ministry said.

All parts supplied for use in South Korea's 23 reactors, which meet more than 35 percent of national electricity needs, require quality and safety warranties from one of 12 international organisations designated by Seoul.

Officials said eight suppliers faked 60 warranties covering nearly 7,700 items that had been provided at a cost of 820 million won ($750,000).

Of the total, more than 5,200 parts have been used in five reactors -- 99 percent of them in the two Yeonggwang units closed on Monday.

Knowledge Economy Minister Hong Suk-Woo said Monday the "non-core" components posed no safety threat.

But he warned of a "dramatic" drop in national power reserves if the two reactors are not brought back online as scheduled.

The government has vowed to stick to its nuclear power programme despite public concerns arising from last year's nuclear disaster in Japan. South Korea plans to build an additional 16 reactors by 2030.

Doubts over safety standards were fuelled in May when five senior engineers were charged with trying to cover up a potentially dangerous power failure at the country's oldest nuclear plant.

The Gori-1 reactor, built in 1978 near the southern city of Busan, briefly lost mains power on February 9 and the emergency generator failed to kick in. The power cut caused cooling water to stop circulating.

Last month, authorities temporarily shut down two 1,000-megawatt reactors at separate nuclear plants after system malfunctions. These were also blamed for another reactor at Yeonggwang being tripped into automatic shutdown in July.

.


Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








CIVIL NUCLEAR
TEPCO believes Fukushima may cost $125 bn
Tokyo (AFP) Nov 7, 2012
The cost of the clean-up and compensation after Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster may double to $125 billion, the plant's operator warned Wednesday. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said decontamination of irradiated areas and compensating those whose jobs or home lives have been affected would cost much more than the five trillion yen it estimated in April. "There is a ... read more


CIVIL NUCLEAR
Sweet diesel! Discovery resurrects process to convert sugar directly to diesel

First solely-biofuel jet flight raises clean travel hopes

Biofuel breakthrough: Quick cook method turns algae into oil

Switching to an energy crop: Break even or make a profit?

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Pacific's Tokelau in world first solar switch

China files solar WTO complaint

Solar panels doubling as ship sails eyed

China files WTO complaint against EU over green energy: source

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Scotland approves 85MW Highlands wind farm

China backs suit against Obama over wind farm deal

DNV KEMA awarded framework agreement for German wind project developer SoWiTec

Sandia Labs benchmark helps wind industry measure success

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Dealing with power outages more efficiently

US military mobilizes to help restore power to New York

Sustainable cities must look beyond city limits

Outside View: Energy companies' taxes

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Exxon tells Iraq it wants to sell oilfield stake

Hydro-Fracking: Fact vs. Fiction

Strategic oil needed if Iran shuts Hormuz

Gunmen kill two Chinese workers in Nigeria: company

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Physicists confirm first planet discovered in a quadruple star system

Planet-hunt data released to public

New Study Brings a Doubted Exoplanet 'Back from the Dead'

New small satellite will study super-Earths for ESA

CIVIL NUCLEAR
QinetiQ provides naval architecture services UK submarine fleet

Raytheon awarded US Navy contract for Ship Self-Defense System

Navy Researchers Look to Rotating Detonation Engines to Power the Future

Aussie navy tests Hobart torpedo launchers

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Curiosity Team Switches Back to Earth Time

Survey of 'Matijevic Hill' Continues

Mars Longevity Champ Switching Computers

NASA Rover Finds Clues to Changes in Mars' Atmosphere




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement