Wedoany.com Report-May 29, On May 20, 2025, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) began pouring the first safety-related concrete for the reactor building of Shin Hanul unit 3 at the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant construction site in South Korea. The APR1400 unit is scheduled for completion in 2032, marking a significant step in expanding the country’s nuclear energy capacity.

KHNP announced: “The start of full-scale structural work by pouring the first concrete for the reactor building, a key construction process for Shin Hanul unit 3, at the Shin Hanul units 3 and 4 construction site on 20 May.” The project follows an agreement signed with Ulchin County in November 2014 to build Shin Hanul units 3 and 4. KHNP applied for a construction license in January 2016, with initial plans for site preparation in May 2017 and commercial operation targeted for December 2022 for unit 3 and a year later for unit 4.

Construction faced delays after KHNP instructed Kepco Engineering & Construction, which signed a design contract in March 2016, to pause work in May 2017. However, preparatory groundwork resumed after the South Korean government approved the project’s implementation plan in June 2023, streamlining 20 licensing and permitting procedures across 11 ministries. In September 2024, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission granted KHNP a construction license for both units, and a ceremony in October 2024 marked the start of work.

In March 2023, KHNP and Doosan Enerbility signed a 2.9 trillion KRW ($2.2 billion USD) contract for the supply of major equipment, including nuclear reactors, steam generators, and turbine generators for the two APR1400 units. The 10-year contract supports the construction of Shin Hanul units 3 and 4.

KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho stated: “We will do our best to raise K-Power’s status in the global nuclear power plant construction market by achieving the goal of ‘On-Time, Within Budget’ as well as the safe construction of Shin Hanul units 3 and 4.” KHNP added: “Shin Hanul unit 3 is scheduled to be completed in 2032 after structural construction, installation of equipment such as the reactor, and stage-by-stage testing.”

The Shin Hanul units are expected to strengthen South Korea’s nuclear energy sector, contributing to economic growth and energy reliability. South Korea currently operates four APR1400 units at Saeul (formerly Shin Kori) and Shin Hanul, with two additional units under construction at Saeul. Four APR1400 units are also operational at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE.