Unit 1 of South Korea’s Shin Hanul NPP was connected to the grid on 9 June, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced. The unit - the first of two APR-1400 pressurised water reactors at the site - is scheduled to enter commercial operation later in 2022, several years later than originally planned.

The 1350MWe reactors were originally expected to begin operation in 2017 and 2018. Following initial delays, fuel loading at unit 1 was scheduled for June 2019 but was again postponed for safety checks by the Nuclear Safety and Security Committee (NSSC) and some modifications. The units were then expected to begin operating in July 2021, and unit 2 in May 2022, but there were further delays.

Shin Hanul 1 is Korea’s 27th nuclear power unit. It obtained an operating licence from the NSSC in July 2021. KHNP said it expects Shin Hanul 1 to generate "about 700,000kWh of electricity per hour during the output increase test period after connection to the grid, which is expected to contribute to electricity supply and demand in the upcoming summer". KHNP President Jeong Jae-hoon said: "We will do our best for a comprehensive final inspection while increasing the power plant output step by step."

Image: South Korea’s Shin Hanul NPP