The Site Selection Evaluation Committee announced the results of the new nuclear power plant site selection on June 17, in line with the 11th Basic Plan for Power Supply. The plan includes the construction of two large nuclear reactors and one demonstration SMR.
In the evaluation, Yeongdeok County received a score of 91.01, surpassing Ulsan's Ulju County, which scored 82.63. For the SMR category, Gijang County scored 87.11, outperforming Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, which received 84.56.
Yeongdeok County was rated highly for its resident surveys, site suitability, and environmental factors within a 5-kilometer radius. Gijang County also received favorable assessments in resident surveys and site suitability compared to competing regions.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) initiated the site selection process after finalizing the 11th Basic Plan for Power Supply in February of last year. The committee, composed mainly of external experts, independently established evaluation criteria and conducted assessments.
The site selection competition, which began in January, saw Yeongdeok and Ulju Counties apply for the large nuclear power plant category, while Gijang and Gyeongju applied for the SMR category.
After conducting basic investigations, site inspections, and resident surveys, the committee selected Yeongdeok and Gijang as candidate sites.
The committee stated, "Stable power supply is essential for securing national competitiveness and for future generations," emphasizing that it prioritized regional coexistence in finding optimal locations. It also urged KHNP to utilize resident feedback gathered during the survey process in future regional cooperation plans.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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