Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has completed fuel loading at unit 2 of the Shin Hanul NPP. There were 241 bundles of fuel in total, and loading took eight days. Shin Hanul 2 received an operating permit from the Nuclear Safety & Security Commission and had completed a preliminary inspection. Commercial operation is scheduled to begin after approximately six months of test runs.
Shin Hanul 2, with a capacity of 1,400 MWe, is Korea's 28th nuclear unit. Similar reactors have been exported to the UAE for the Barakah NPP. In Korea, APR1400 units are operating at Saeul units 1&2 and Shin Hanul unit 1 are currently in operation in Korea, and Saeul Units 3 and 4 are under construction. In 2018, design certification was obtained from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). HKNP said Shin Hanul 1&2 are the first plants in Korea to localise core facilities such as the reactor coolant pump (RCP) and nuclear instrumentation and control system (MMIS) and achieve technological independence.
First concrete for unit 1 was poured for unit 1 in 2012 and for unit 2 in 2013. Shin Hanul 1 achieved first criticality in May 2022 and was connected to the grid the following month. The 1350 MWe pressurised water reactor (PWR) began commercial operation in December.
The APR1400 was designed by Korea Engineering Company and has a 60-year design life. It is an evolution of the standardised 995 MWe OPR1000 design, 12 of which were constructed in South Korea. The APR1400 includes improved operation, safety, maintenance and affordability.
Image: Representatives from KHNP mark the successful completion of fuel loading at Shin Hanul 2 in Uljin County, South Korea (courtesy of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power)
