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kristopher

(29,798 posts)
Mon Oct 21, 2013, 04:44 PM Oct 2013

S.Korea Indicts 100 (Nuclear Graft), Considers Drastic Cut in Future Nuclear

S. Korea Indicts 100 in Nuclear Graft Scandal, Considers Drastic Cut in Future Nuclear Power Share
10/17/2013 | Sonal Patel


South Korea in the past week indicted 100 people—including officials from the state-run nuclear power plant operator—of corruption in a scandal over forged nuclear safety certifications. It is now also considering freezing ambitions to maintain nuclear’s 29% share in its total power mix—which means scrapping a previous goal to increase it to 41% by 2035.

The scandal broke last November after the country’s energy ministry (formerly the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and now, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy [MOTIE]) ordered the shutdown of two nuclear reactors at the Yeonggwang nuclear complex owned by state company Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), which operates the nation’s 23 nuclear reactors. The measure followed the Korea Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) subsidiary’s admission that eight unnamed firms that supplied parts had faked certificates covering thousands of nuclear power components over a period of nearly 10 years, from 2003 to 2012—affecting at least five reactors. Then in May, KHNP found safety-related control cabling with forged documentation in four other reactors, prompting the country’s nuclear regulator to force shutdown of Shin-Kori No. 2 and Shin-Wolsong No. 1 reactors—both commissioned in July 2012—for about four months for replacements.

An Oct. 10 government probe found 277 faked certificates for parts used in 20 operating reactors, as well as 2,010 false documents at eight plants that were offline or under construction. “Almost all” of the components have been replaced.

That probe also led to the indictment of about 100 officials from the state-run KHNP, parts suppliers, and certifiers on charges of forgery and corruption—including an unnamed former chief executive at KHNP and a KEPCO vice president. “We have completed inspection of test results of parts and materials used from five reactors under construction and the other suspended three. We found a total of 2,010 fake certificates there,” Kim Dong-yeon, a Government Policy Coordination official, said during a joint briefing last week with the Justice Ministry and MOTIE. “Parts or materials with falsified certificates will be replaced or go through the qualification process,” he said.

The government last week also ...

http://www.powermag.com/s-korea-indicts-100-in-nuclear-graft-scandal-considers-drastic-cut-in-future-nuclear-power-share/?pagenum=1

"An Oct. 10 government probe found277 faked certificates for parts used in 20 operating reactors, as well as 2,010 false documents at eight plants that were offline or under construction."

Which poses the unanswerable question: How many parts counterfeiters have gotten away with it there and elsewhere?

Tick, tick, tick...

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S.Korea Indicts 100 (Nuclear Graft), Considers Drastic Cut in Future Nuclear (Original Post) kristopher Oct 2013 OP
"A joint working group...recommended the government reduce energy reliance on nuclear power" bananas Oct 2013 #1
That is a very good question ... Nihil Oct 2013 #2

bananas

(27,509 posts)
1. "A joint working group...recommended the government reduce energy reliance on nuclear power"
Mon Oct 21, 2013, 05:48 PM
Oct 2013
http://www.powermag.com/s-korea-indicts-100-in-nuclear-graft-scandal-considers-drastic-cut-in-future-nuclear-power-share/?pagenum=2

<snip>

A joint working group on the second phase of the national energy framework, which involves 60 representatives from industry, academic institutions, and civic bodies, on Monday recommended the government reduce energy reliance on nuclear power to between 22% and 29%, drastically lower than a 2008 state-proposed goal of 41% by 2035. It also proposed that renewables should continue to account for about 11% of the country’s power mix by 2035.

<snip>


These joint working groups tend to have conservative estimates and recommendations, using averaged estimates between the laughably bogus nuclear industry estimates and reality-based estimates by reality-based independent groups.

 

Nihil

(13,508 posts)
2. That is a very good question ...
Tue Oct 22, 2013, 07:01 AM
Oct 2013

>> "An Oct. 10 government probe found 277 faked certificates for parts used in 20 operating reactors,
>> as well as 2,010 false documents at eight plants that were offline or under construction."
>
> Which poses the unanswerable question: How many parts counterfeiters have gotten away with it
> there and elsewhere?


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