Kori-2 returns to service after upgrade, marking first execution of aging reactor extension pipeline through 2030

South Korea’s Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) said on Saturday it has restarted the Kori-2 nuclear reactor after completing a 35-month facility improvement program and safety inspections required for continued operation. The reactor, located in Busan, first entered commercial service in Aug. 1983 and was shut down in April 2023 after its 40-year operating license expired.

KHNP said it secured regulatory approval for continued operation in November after submitting a safety evaluation in April 2022 and undergoing roughly three years and seven months of review. The company added that final safety confirmation was obtained through regulatory inspections prior to the restart. Kori-2 is the first among 10 reactors whose licenses expire by 2030 and are seeking continued operation, with KHNP planning to pursue extensions for nine additional units, including Kori-3 and Kori-4.

South Korea’s Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) said on Saturday it has restarted the Kori-2 nuclear reactor after completing a 35-month facility improvement program and safety inspections required for continued operation. The reactor, located in Busan, first entered commercial service in Aug. 1983 and was shut down in April 2023 after its 40-year operating license expired.

KHNP said it secured regulatory approval for continued operation in November after submitting a safety evaluation in April 2022 and undergoing roughly three years and seven months of review. The company added that final safety confirmation was obtained through regulatory inspections prior to the restart. Kori-2 is the first among 10 reactors whose licenses expire by 2030 and are seeking continued operation, with KHNP planning to pursue extensions for nine additional units, including Kori-3 and Kori-4.

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