The government is reviewing making the expense for post-nuclear power treatment—used for decommissioning nuclear power plants and handling radioactive waste—more realistic. The expense has been frozen since 2013. There is speculation it will be raised to nearly double the current level.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said in a National Assembly audit briefing on the 16th that it will "pursue the realization of post-nuclear power treatment expense and safe decommissioning to ensure safety-first, full-cycle management of nuclear power." Post-nuclear power treatment expense is classified into three expenses: spent nuclear fuel handling, radioactive waste handling, and plant decommissioning.
Each of these expenses is reflected in the per-plant unit price. The current levy standard is 319.81 million won per bundle for pressurized light-water reactors and 13.2 million won for heavy-water reactors. The expense was set in 2013. Since then, two rounds of public deliberation were held for a reassessment, but the expense was not adjusted, because the direction for high-level waste handling had not been finalized, making it difficult to calculate the levy.
However, on the 26th of last month, a special law on the management of high-level radioactive waste took effect, providing the legal basis for building a disposal facility.
According to the nuclear power industry, the levy for pressurized light-water reactors is estimated to rise 90.7% to about 610 million won per bundle. The levy for heavy-water reactors is also expected to be raised.
The ministry plans to launch decommissioning projects for permanently shut reactors as well. It has set a roadmap: develop decommissioning technology by 2030, establish dry storage facilities in 2031, and carry out decommissioning in 2037.