IAEA recommends safety improvements at S. Korean nuclear reactor in Busan

Washington, Nov 14 (IANS) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recommended improvements in operational safety at a South Korean nuclear reactor in Busan, including those related to industrial safety, operational procedures and radiation contamination control, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.

The recommendations were made following an operational safety review of Shin-Kori No. 2 in Busan, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, during an IAEA Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) mission conducted from Oct. 26 to Thursday at the request of the South Korean government, according to an IAEA press release.

The team recommended that the plant consider strengthening its industrial safety arrangements, improving the conduct and control of operational activities and reinforcing practices to minimise the risk of radioactive contamination spreading, reports Yonhap news agency.

In particular, the IAEA stressed the importance of ensuring the accurate transfer and use of operational information to maintain effective operations.

Despite the recommendations, the agency said the plant’s personnel demonstrated professionalism and a strong commitment to continuously improving operational safety and reliability.

The team also identified several good practices, including a virtual training system allowing field and control room operators to practice together, an improved radioactive waste processing method and an integrated disaster monitoring system providing real-time warnings about external hazards.

“Returning to the Kori site more than four decades later demonstrates the Republic of Korea’s long-standing engagement with international peer review and its commitment to the continuous improvement of operational safety,” said Juraj Rovny, OSART leader and head of the IAEA’s operational safety section.

Song Chang-Soo, director general of Kori Nuclear Power Plant, said the findings of the mission would help the plant further strengthen its safety culture and continuously improve operational safety and reliability. “We remain firmly committed to making nuclear safety our highest priority.”

Shin-Kori No. 2, a 1,000-megawatt pressurized water reactor that began commercial operations in 2012, is operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.

The IAEA said the plant’s management had received a draft report and would have an opportunity to provide factual comments before the agency submits its final report to South Korea within three months.

—IANS

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