SEOUL: South Korea yesterday shut down two nuclear reactors and delayed the scheduled start of operations at two more, prompting government warnings of “unprecedented” power shortages.
Part of a widening investigation into a scandal involving parts provided with fake safety certificates, the latest move means 10 of the South’s 23 nuclear reactors are currently offline for various reasons.
“Power shortages on an unprecedented scale are feared this summer,” the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a press statement, adding that replacing suspect parts could take up to four months.
Blackout alerts, triggered automatically when power reserves dip below a certain level, were highly likely, while power shortages could be “very serious” in August, the statement said.
The ministry said it would “strongly” enforce measures to reduce energy consumption, including rescheduling working hours to stagger demand and limit damaging peaks.
At proper capacity, South Korea’s nuclear reactors supply more than 35 percent of national electricity needs.
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) said it had shut down two reactors — one at the Gori nuclear complex and another at the Wolseong plant — after learning that both had used parts supplied with forged warranties.
The scheduled resumption of another reactor under maintenance at Gori, and the start of a new reactor at Wolseong were postponed for the same reason, the commission said. Parts used at all four reactors would have to be replaced, it added.
All parts supplied for use in South Korean reactors require quality and safety warranties from one of 12 international organisations designated by Seoul.
Yesterday’s ministry statement said further criminal and civil lawsuits would be filed against any organisation or individual found responsible for forging documents.
“Criminal investigation will also be requested for wrongdoing by suppliers, testing agencies and organisations in charge of verification,” including the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation, it added. AFP
