• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.426-436
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• 2024

Nuclear security has been emphasized to ensure the safety of the environment and humans, as well as to protect nuclear materials and facilities from malicious attacks. With increasing utilization of nuclear energy and emerging potential threats, there has been a renewed focus on nuclear security. Korea has made efforts to enhance the regulatory oversight processes, both for general and specific legislative systems. While Korea has demonstrated effective nuclear security activities, continuous efforts are necessary to maintain a high level of security and to improve regulatory efficiency in alignment with international standards. In this study, the comprehensive regulatory oversight framework for the security of Korean nuclear facilities has been investigated. For reference, the U.S. regulatory oversight frameworks for nuclear facilities, with a focus on nuclear security, and the motivations of changes in regulatory oversight framework have been identified. By comparing these regulatory programs and frameworks, insights and considerations for enhancing nuclear security regulations have been identified. A comprehensive security inspection program tailored for the Korean regulatory oversight framework has been proposed, and has been preliminarily applied to hypothetical conditions for further discussion.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.376.2-376
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Industrial Safety Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.102-107
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• 2003

원자력발전소의 산업계와 규제기관에서는 원자력발전소의 성능(performance)수준 향상과 대 국민 알권리 충족, 규제업무 효율화를 위하여 정량적인 성능지표를 개발하여 사용해왔다. 국내의 원자력 규제 기관인 한국원자력안전기술원은 WANO (world association of nuclear operators)와 미국 핵규제위원회(NRC)의 발전소 종합성능평가 (reactor oversight process)에서 사용하는 성능지표를 토대로 국내 원자력발전소 성능지표를 개발하여 사용 중이다 ( 1 ). 개발된 국내 원자력발전소의 성능지표는 초기사건, 안전계통 신뢰도, 방사선 안전 등 11개 지표로 이루어졌다. 각 지표별 등급을 4개(녹색, 하늘색, 노랑색, 주황색)로 나누어 알기 쉽게 표시하였다.(중략)

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.87-100
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• 2022

Unit capacity factor (utilization rate) of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is an important performance indicator. Since the first commercial operation of Kori Unit 1 began in April 1978, the utilization rate of domestic NPPs has gradually increased, reaching 90% from the end of the 1990s. However, due to various issues such as the Fukushima accident in 2011, corrosion of the CLP, the utilization rate dropped to 65~80%. In the early 1980s, the utilization rate of the U.S. NPPs was around 60%. However, since 2004, it has been consistently maintained above 90%. Therefore, in this study, we first examined the causes of declining the utilization rate in domestic NPPs. Next, the significances of the utilization rates are reviewed in five aspects: investment capability, electricity rate, safety and export, etc., with discussion on the current status of the utilization rates in the U.S. Based on this, three key factors are derived as the reasons of the increasing: equipment reliability program, on-line maintenance and the pursuit of institutional rationality. And finally, by synthesizing above results, the measures for increasing the utilization rate of domestic NPPs are proposed in terms of equipment management, institutional improvements, and personnel resources.