Korea nuclear facilities’ growth slowing

Nuclear power accounts for 40 percent of the total energy generated in Korea, yet construction of additional nuclear plants and waste facilities is being delayed. Korea’s first nuclear power plant began operating in April 1978. Since then, there has been rapid growth in the industry, and Korea now has 19 operating nuclear units. About two new units are constructed every three years. The United States, France and Japan built their nuclear plants mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, after the oil shock. But Korea constructed 15 generators in the 1980s and 1990s. Despite the speedy development, one of the main problems is that the construction of a nuclear waste facility has been protracted. Also, anti-nuclear groups are aggressively protesting further construction of nuclear plants. Because of their opposition, steam, or thermal, power is meeting the increasing demand for electricity. On a global level, there are 434 nuclear reactors currently operating in 31 countries, with 20 more under construction. According to the World Nuclear Association, these units amount to over 360,000 megawatts in total capacity, supplying 16 percent of the world’s electricity. Seventeen countries depend on nuclear power for at least a quarter of their electricity. France and Lithuania get around three quarters of their power from nuclear energy, while Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Japan, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovenia and Ukraine get one third or more. In Europe, Finland is planning the world’s largest single nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1.7 million kilowatts. France has 59 operating reactors; a third of the electricity consumed in Paris comes from nuclear power. “We have surplus electricity, which we export to Italy and other European countries,” said Christine Andre, a public relations official at a nuclear plant near Paris. In a report released earlier this year, the European Economic and Social Committee, an advisory committee to the European Union, said that it is impossible to imagine an energy source that could replace nuclear energy. Last year, Switzerland held a nationwide vote and decided not to give up on nuclear power development. The country meets 40 percent of its power needs through nuclear energy. In Asia, Japan generates 39 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. By 2010, nuclear power will be meeting over 40 percent of Japan’s electricity requirements. China is moving ahead rapidly in building new nuclear power plants, since the country’s electricity demand has been growing at over 8 percent annually. “Large amounts of money and time are required to establish energy production facilities and develop technology,” said Choi Ki-ryun, an energy economics professor at Ajou University. “Korea has no natural resources and no immediate alternative energy sources. In these circumstances, nuclear energy is an inevitable choice.” by Special Reporting Team