KHNP (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power) will propose to Poland the construction of six APR1400 reactors with a total capacity of 8.4 GW, the company announced last week. Reactors of this type meet the basic requirements of the Polish program.
Koreans declare that they will be able to meet the schedule of building reactors set by Poland. In 2033, the first nuclear power plant unit with a capacity of approximately 1-1.6 GW is to be launched in our country, and subsequent blocks are to be implemented every 2-3 years.
The Korean company argues that it has advanced capabilities to build nuclear power plants, but the Americans from Westinghouse and Bechtel and the French EDF also want to build reactors in Poland.
As the Koreans emphasize, their company can deliver a nuclear reactor that is fully compliant with European requirements. The company recalled that in 2017, the European Utility Requirements (EUR) officially approved the APR1400, and in 2019, the safety of the APR1400 was certified by the American Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The vice-president of KHNP Yoh-Shik Nam pointed out that when building nuclear energy in South Korea, it did not only use international solutions, but developed its own technology.
“As a result, KHNP now has advanced capabilities to build nuclear power plants using native, distinctive technologies and equipment. South Korea is not subject to any export restrictions in the field of nuclear technology” – emphasized Yoh-Shik Nam.