[Editorial] Faulty power plant parts cause for concern

Posted on : 2011-12-06 14:01 KST Modified on : 2011-12-06 14:01 KST

Employees and suppliers with the Gori Nuclear Power Plant in Busan's Gijang County are reported to have conspired to pass off used parts as new ones. The parts are used in equipment that adjusts the steam produced in the reactor and sends it to the turbine.
Nuclear power plant safety is impossible to trust completely even under the best of circumstances. It is nothing short of shocking to hear about this kind of irregularity in supply practices. However, in light of the insularity of the nuclear power plant industry, it is difficult to believe there haven't been similar instances elsewhere. Meanwhile, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power has said this was an isolated instance of irregularity among certain parties and that there are no safety concerns, since the equipment in question was separate from the reactor. The way KHNP devotes so much energy to covering up or playing down any problems that arise merely adds to the concerns about the safety of nuclear power. We need to avail ourselves of this opportunity to conduct a thorough examination of the entire parts supply process.
Recently, we witnessed an episode showing how apathetic the government and KHNP are when it comes to nuclear power safety concerns. During preventive maintenance on the No. 4 reactor at the Uljin Nuclear Power Plant this past September and October, it was discovered that about 25% of the 16 thousand heat pipes in the steam generator were damaged. Environmental groups said the fact that this happened in the space of just 28 months for a steam generator with a design life of 30 years is clearly indicative of flaws with the pipe material or design. KHNP, however, decided simply to block off a portion of the damaged pipes and internally reinforce the remainder before putting them back into operation. Many experts called this a typical example of the kind of stopgap measures that lead to a major disaster later on.
The Gori plant is an old facility whose lifespan has been prolonged, and its frequent breakdowns have left people very concerned. This year alone, a stoppage at the No. 1 reactor due to a faulty circuit breaker was followed just two months later by another at the No. 2 reactor owing to power line problems. At the time, KHNP CEO Kim Jong-shin said, "No matter what it is, we will do everything in our power to ensure that nuclear power safety is not a concern for South Koreans." However this recent episode of irregularities has proven these words hollow.
Like satellites, nuclear powers are highly complex and involve many parts. An error in any one of them could lead to a major accident. It is enough to predict that the next nuclear power plant accident could be at an entirely different level from what we have seen to date. Most worrisome of all is the insistence on secrecy about safety issues even as the older power plants are having their service prolonged. KHNP has refused to comply with demands to disclose reports from safety assessments on the grounds that they are confidential. Secrecy was one of the factors that turned the Fukushima disaster in Japan into an even greater catastrophe. Information on nuclear power safety needs to be disclosed in a transparent manner so that South Koreans do not have to worry.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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