Unit 3 at Saeul Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea Shut Down Again During Trial Operation

Unit 3 at the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), was shut down again during trial operation. The unit, located in Ulju County, Ulsan, South Korea, has a generating capacity of 1,400 MW.

According to the plant operator, operators manually shut down the reactor at approximately 3:01 p.m. on the 6th. The shutdown was initiated after a leak was confirmed in a pipe related to turbine steam condensate. The plant stated that the manual shutdown was carried out to ensure facility stability and facilitate maintenance.

The plant stated that the shutdown caused no radiological impact and that the unit is currently in a stable condition. Personnel are analyzing the cause of the pipe leak.

Previously, Unit 3 at the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant had experienced an automatic shutdown on the 11th of last month during commissioning tests. An investigation by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) confirmed that the event occurred following a grid disconnection test conducted at 80% reactor power. During the process of restoring reactor power, operators incorrectly entered a setpoint for the turbine control valve position limiter, causing the automatic shutdown.

After completing its investigation, the NSSC approved the resumption of commissioning tests for the unit on the 4th of this month. Unit 3 at the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant received its operating license in December of last year and is currently undergoing commissioning tests to gradually increase power in preparation for commercial operation.