S. Korea’s nuke watchdog approves 25th reactor

Test run of Shin Kori No. 3, located in the city of Busan, over 300 km southeast of Seoul, will take 6 months.

A view of the KORI nuclear power plant in Busan, South Korea. South Korea's nuclear watchdog said on Thursday it has given operational approval to the 25th reactor in the world's fifth-biggest user of nuclear power. The nuclear operator, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd, will start a test run of Shin Kori No. 3, located in the city of Busan, over 300 km southeast of Seoul.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, South Korea’s nuclear watchdog, said on Thursday it has given operational approval to the 25th reactor in the world’s fifth-biggest user of nuclear power.

The nuclear operator, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd (KHNP), will start a test run of Shin Kori No. 3, located in the city of Busan, over 300 km southeast of Seoul, a spokesman said, adding that the test run would take six months.

Supply one-third of its power

South Korea currently runs 24 nuclear reactors that supply about a third of its electricity. It wants to add 13 to run 36 reactors by 2029. KHNP, fully owned by state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp, had submitted an application in June 2011 to operate the 1,400-megawatt nuclear reactor. But approval had been delayed to replace some cable supplied with forged safety certificates.