• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.638-644
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• 2017

The importance of developing a source-term assessment technology has been emphasized owing to the decommissioning of Kori nuclear power plant (NPP) Unit 1 and the increase of deteriorated NPPs. We analyzed the behavioral mechanism of corrosion products in the primary system of a pressurized heavy-water reactor-type NPP. In addition, to check the possibility of applying the CRUDTRAN code to a Canadian Deuterium Uranium Reactor (CANDU)-type NPP, the type was assessed using collected domestic onsite data. With the assessment results, it was possible to predict trends according to operating cycles. Values estimated using the code were similar to the measured values. The results of this study are expected to be used to manage the radiation exposures of operators in high-radiation areas and to predict decommissioning processes in the primary system.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.141-160
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• 2021

Unit 1 of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and Unit 1 of the Wolsong NPP are being prepared for decommissioning; their decommissioning is expected to generate large amounts of intermediate-level, low-level, and very low level Waste. Mixed waste containing both radioactive and hazardous substances is expected to be produced. Nevertheless, laws and regulations, such as the Korean Nuclear Safety Act and Waste Management Act, do not define clear regulatory guidelines for mixed waste. However, the United States has strictly enforced regulations on mixed waste, focusing on the human health and environmental effects of its hazardous components. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy regulate the radioactive components of mixed waste under the Atomic Energy Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates the hazardous waste component of mixed waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In this study, the laws, regulations, and authorities pertaining to mixed waste in the United States are reviewed. Through comparison and analysis with waste management laws and regulations in Korea, a treatment direction for mixed waste is suggested. Such a treatment for mixed waste will increase the efficiency of managing mixed waste when decommissioning NPPs in the near future.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1491-1510
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• 2021

This work presents an illustration of Nagra's AMAC (Advanced Methodology for Activation Characterization) approach to the South Korean pressurized water reactor Kori-1 decommissioning. The results achieved are supported by the existing experience from the detailed AMAC applications to Swiss NPPs and are used not only for a demonstration of the applicability of AMAC to South Korean NPPs, but also for a first approximation of the activated waste volumes to be expected from Kori-1. A packaging concept based on the above activation characterization is also presented, using the AMAC algorithmic optimization software ALGOPACK leading to the minimum number of waste containers needed given the selected packaging constraints. Nagra's AMAC enables effective planning before and during NPP decommissioning, including recommendations for cutting profiles for diverse reactor components and building structures. Finally, it is expected to lead to significant cost savings by reducing the number of expensive waste containers, by optimizing a potential melting strategy for metallic waste as well as by significantly limiting the number of radiological measurements. All information about Kori-1 used for the purpose of this study was collected from publicly available sources.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2018

Assessment of NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) decommissioning cost is very important for safe decommissioning of nuclear power plants. In the United States, which has the most NPP decommissioning experience, the cost evaluation study has been conducted since the 1970s in order to decommissioning nuclear facilities. The US NRC has conducted studies on decommissioning technology, safety and cost for a variety of reactor type and nuclear installations. In the total decommissioning costs, the end of operation licenses accounted for the largest portion, followed by spent fuel management and site restoration. In case of immediate decommissioning, spent fuel management cost increased compared to delayed decommissioning, and delayed deocmmissioning increased the cost of terminating the operation license. However, in general, delayed decommissioning does not show any significant benefit as compared with immediate decommissioning. It is necessary to consider the evaluation according to the site conditions when evaluating the cost of decommissioning domestic nuclear power plants. Also, in Korea, IAEA recommendations were applied to reorganize the radioactive waste classification system. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method to appropriately use the decommissioning data of the preceding US Nuclear Power Plant in the new classification system when estimating the amount of radioactive waste generated during decommissioning. In particular, the establishment of the evaluation methodology for the waste to be disposed of will be an important factor in securing the accuracy of the decommissioning cost. In addition, it is necessary to construct information data that can be applied to facility characteristics and work characteristics in order to evaluate the cost of demolition of domestic nuclear power plants.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.38-45
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to deduct the structural damage / work process risks factors which can be occurred during the decommissioning in the NPP containment concrete structure. To achieve these purpose, risk profile specified in the construction industry is analyzed, and the work process of NPP decommissioning and the construction project were matched based on the similarity of each works. Accordingly, human and physical risk factors are classified. Finally, the risk associated with the building structure and work process was classified as per their process activities, and risk typology explaining the disaster which put the structure, equipments, machine and workers in serious danger was developed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.445-445
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.385-386
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• 2019

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.363-376
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• 2024

Kori Unit 1, the first commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) in Korea, was permanently shut down in 2017 and was scheduled for decommissioning. Various programs must be planned early in the decommissioning process to safely decommission NPPs. Radiological characterization is a key program in decommissioning and should be a high priority. Radiological characterization involves determining the decommissioning technology to be applied to a nuclear facility by identifying the radiation sources and radioactive contaminants present within the facility and assessing the extent and nature of the radioactive contaminants to be removed from the facility. This study introduces the regulatory requirements, procedures, and implementation methods for radiological characterization and proposes a methodology to link the results of radiological characterizations for each stage. To link radiological characteristics, this study proposes to conduct radiological characterization in the decommissioning phase to verify the results of radiological characterization in the transitional phase of decommissioning NPPs. This enables significantly reducing the scope and content of radiological characterization that must be performed in the decommissioning phase and maintaining the connection with the previous phase.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.247-253
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• 2023

According to NSSC Notice No. 2021-10, safety analysis needs to be introduced in the decommissioning plan. Public and occupational dose analyses should be conducted, specifically for unexpected radiological accidents. Herein, based on the risk matrix and analytic hierarchy process, the method of selecting accident scenarios during the decommissioning of nuclear power plants has been proposed. During decommissioning, the generated spent resin exhibits relatively higher activity than other generated wastes. When accidents occur, the release fraction varies depending on the conditioning method of radioactive waste and type of radioactive nuclides or accidents. Occupational dose analyses for 2 (fire and drop) among 11 accident scenarios have been performed. The radiation doses of the additional exposures caused by the fire and drop accidents are 1.67 and 4.77 mSv, respectively.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2023

A graded approach applies safety requirements differentially, depending on the risk potential. An advantage of applying a graded approach is that safety assessments can be conducted repeatedly by focusing on areas with relatively higher risk than on those with low risk when decommissioning a nuclear power plant (NPP). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends applying a graded approach to decommissioning NPPs worldwide. In Korea, the definition of the graded approach requires to be clarified. This study compared the decommissioning method used in Korean NPPs with the IAEA graded approach and examined whether the graded approach can be applied to decommissioning NPPs in Korea. As a result of the comparison, the preliminary decommissioning plan for Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 showed that the decommissioning method for Korean NPPs is similar to the five-step IAEA graded approach.