Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Saeul Nuclear Power Headquarters said on the 12th that Saeul Unit 3 successfully entered the first startup phase. The first startup is the starting point for a plant to begin full-fledged test operation and is an important milestone that confirms safety after design, construction, and inspections.
Saeul Unit 3 in Ulju County, Ulsan, received its operating license from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on Dec. 30 last year and has since undergone pre-use inspections. Of these, all nine tests that must be performed before the reactor's initial criticality were recently completed, confirming that the reactor can safely reach a critical state. A reactor's criticality refers to a state in which the nuclear fission chain reaction continues stably.
Saeul Unit 3, whose construction began in 2016, will gradually increase output over the next six months while closely checking whether major equipment and safety systems operate normally. Once its final performance and safety are verified, it will begin commercial operation in the second half at 100% power. The installed capacity is 1.4 million kilowatts (kW).
A KHNP official said, "The first startup is a preparation phase before full-scale power generation, and test operation will proceed under strict standards and procedures going forward," adding, "We will put safety first and conduct thorough checks at every step to ensure we can begin commercial operation in the second half."