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The government has decided to invest 500 billion won over five years for the construction of medium and low-level radioactive waste facilities in the second and third stages. The image is a view of the mid- and low-level air defense facilities in Gyeongju. [사진 한국원자력환경공단]
The government will invest 500 billion won over the next five years to manage low- and medium-level waste from nuclear power plants. In addition, it has decided to support technological development to concern the market for small reactors that are emerging around the world.
On the 28th, the government deliberated and decided on the 2nd ‘Basic Plan for the Management of Medium and Low Level Radioactive Waste’ at the 9th Atomic Energy Promotion Committee chaired by Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun. The plan decided that this time it is a legal plan for the management of radioactive waste in 5-year increments, and the implementation period is 30 years.
Low and medium level radioactive waste refers to waste with relatively negligible radioactivity, such as work clothes, gloves, and parts used in the nuclear power generation process. Waste such as “spent nuclear fuel” from the nuclear reprocessing process is classified as high levels. The high-level defense waste treatment plan is slated to be announced in 2021 after the completion of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee.
The government’s primary focus in this plan is waste safety management. To this end, it is planned to secure the disposal facilities and subsidiary facilities in the second and third stages of the medium and low levels in Gyeongju, as scheduled.
Radioactive waste is stored in stages according to the level of radioactivity. The first-stage facility, which treats waste below the median level, was built in December 2014 and currently has about 100,000 drums of waste. As the amount of waste increases in the future, the second-stage facility to store low-level waste (to be completed in 22) and the third-stage facility to store ultra-low-level waste (to be completed in 26) They will also be insured as planned.
To do this, a budget of 218.6 billion won will be invested using the radioactive waste management fund. In addition, it has decided to support a budget of approximately 500 billion won over five years for waste management, including the development of safety management technology.
Safety standards are also specifically established for each waste treatment process leading to acceptance → inspection → disposal. First, in the acceptance process, detailed acceptance criteria are determined according to the characteristics and level of the waste. In addition, a waste certification program will be introduced into the inspection process and standards for safe disposal will be ensured at the disposal stage.
On this day, the committee discussed not only waste management, but also supporting the export of nuclear power plants and fostering the decommissioning industry. In particular, it has decided to concentrate its technological development capabilities on the market for small-size reactors (SMR, Small Modular Reactor: a reactor capable of manufacturing and assembling in situ with less than 300 ㎿e). Since the number of nuclear power plants run by private companies in the world has increased in recent years, small nuclear power plants are in the spotlight rather than large nuclear power plants, which have a high risk. investment.
To create the initial SMR market, the government is promoting the construction of the first SMART nuclear power plant, the world’s first small nuclear power plant developed by Korea. Furthermore, it plans to expand SMR’s export market through international cooperation and promote the development of a Korean-type ‘innovative small module reactor’ (i-SMR) to ensure technological superiority.
Sejong = Reporter Kim Namjun [email protected]
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