Current Status of KEPIC Development for the Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants
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The Korea Electric Power Industry Code (KEPIC) has been used to ensure safety, reliability, andquality in the design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs). However, there has been nodomestic experience in decommissioning commercial NPPs, which has resulted in the absence of specialized technicalstandards for this process. With the permanent shutdown and recent approval for decommissioning of Kori Unit 1,along with the increasing global demand for the decommissioning of aging NPPs, establishing technical standards inthis area has become crucial. The current KEPIC framework primarily addresses design, construction, and operation,but it does not adequately cover the unique processes required for decommissioning, including radiation management,radioactive waste treatment, cutting and decontamination, and safety assessment. The lack of such standards can leadto safety degradation, insufficient regulatory linkage, and a decline in industrial competitiveness. In response to thisneed, the Korea Electric Association has initiated the development of 20 types of KEPICs specifically for nucleardecommissioning, scheduled to occur from 2023 to 2030 in three stages. The first stage is currently underway andincludes the development of KEPICs for decommissioning cost assessment, source term evaluation, radiologicalcharacterization of systems, safety assessment, clearance of radioactive waste, metal cutting and dismantling,system decontamination, and the packaging, transport, and disposal of containers. The second stage will focus ondeveloping KEPICs for site radiological characterization, cutting and dismantling of calandria and pressure tubes,dismantling biological shields and concrete, decontaminating metal and concrete, and managing liquid, gaseous,and solid radioactive waste. The final stage will establish standards for knowledge management, quality assurance,waste radioactivity measurement and verification, management of PHWR decommissioning wastes, mixed wastemanagement, site reuse, and site restoration and decontamination. Out of the 20 KEPICs being developed, 10 will bepromoted for international standardization to enhance domestic standards on a global scale and strengthen Korea’scompetitiveness in the nuclear decommissioning sector.
Abstract
The Korea Electric Power Industry Code (KEPIC) has been used to ensure safety, reliability, andquality in the design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs). However, there has been nodomestic experience in decommissioning commercial NPPs, which has resulted in the absence of specialized technicalstandards for this process. With the permanent shutdown and recent approval for decommissioning of Kori Unit 1,along with the increasing global demand for the decommissioning of aging NPPs, establishing technical standards inthis area has become crucial. The current KEPIC framework primarily addresses design, construction, and operation,but it does not adequately cover the unique processes required for decommissioning, including radiation management,radioactive waste treatment, cutting and decontamination, and safety assessment. The lack of such standards can leadto safety degradation, insufficient regulatory linkage, and a decline in industrial competitiveness. In response to thisneed, the Korea Electric Association has initiated the development of 20 types of KEPICs specifically for nucleardecommissioning, scheduled to occur from 2023 to 2030 in three stages. The first stage is currently underway andincludes the development of KEPICs for decommissioning cost assessment, source term evaluation, radiologicalcharacterization of systems, safety assessment, clearance of radioactive waste, metal cutting and dismantling,system decontamination, and the packaging, transport, and disposal of containers. The second stage will focus ondeveloping KEPICs for site radiological characterization, cutting and dismantling of calandria and pressure tubes,dismantling biological shields and concrete, decontaminating metal and concrete, and managing liquid, gaseous,and solid radioactive waste. The final stage will establish standards for knowledge management, quality assurance,waste radioactivity measurement and verification, management of PHWR decommissioning wastes, mixed wastemanagement, site reuse, and site restoration and decontamination. Out of the 20 KEPICs being developed, 10 will bepromoted for international standardization to enhance domestic standards on a global scale and strengthen Korea’scompetitiveness in the nuclear decommissioning sector.