• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.325-345
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• 2021

In this paper, we empirically evaluate the potential performance of energy conversion policy and analyze its effects on power generation sector. We first examine the degree of substitutability between energy inputs by measuring the price elasticities of energy demands and then estimate the changes in CO₂ generation when the proportions of nuclear power plants and renewable power generation are increased. The shadow prices of nuclear power and renewable energy are calculated to compare the potential costs of power generation between the two energy sources. We analyze the impacts of the expansion of nuclear power plants and renewable power generation on power supply price. Nuclear and renewable energy were measured to be complementary to each other. The expansion of nuclear power plants has been more effective in reducing CO₂ emissions than increasing renewable power generation. In most years over 2002 to 2016, the impact of nuclear power expansion on the power supply price was generally higher than that of renewable power generation, with relatively large range of fluctuations.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.1090-1094
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• 2017

The determinants of the public's nuclear power acceptance have received considerable attention as decisive factors regarding nuclear power policy. However, the contingency of the relative importance of different determinants has been less explored. Building on the literature of psychological distance between the individual and the object, the present study demonstrates that the relative effects of different types of perceived risks regarding nuclear power generation differ across acceptance targets. Using a sample of Korea, our results show that, regarding national acceptance of nuclear power generation, perceived risk from nuclear power plants exerts a stronger negative effect than that from radioactive waste management; however, the latter exerts a stronger negative effect than the former on local acceptance of a nuclear power plant. This finding provides implications for efficient public communication strategy to raise nuclear power acceptance.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

The safe management of radioactive waste is a national task required for sustainable generation of nuclear power and for energy self-reliance in Korea. Since the initial introduction of nuclear power to Korea in 1978, rapid growth in nuclear power has been achieved. This large nuclear power generation program has produced a significant amount of radioactive waste, both low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF); and the amount of waste is steadily growing. For the management of LILW, the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center, which has a final waste disposal capacity of 800,000 drums, is under construction, and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Korean policy about how to manage the SNF has not yet been decided. In 2004, the Atomic Energy Commission decided that a national policy for SNF management should be established considering both technological development and public consensus. Currently, SNF is being stored at reactor sites under the responsibility of plant operator. The at-reactor SNF storage capacity will run out starting in 2024. In this paper, the fundamental principles and steps for implementation of a Korean policy for national radioactive waste management are introduced. Korean practices and prospects regarding radioactive waste management are also summarized, with a focus on strategy for policy-making on SNF management.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2013

We address the power generation mix problem that considers not only nuclear and fossil fuels such as oil, coal and LNG but also renewable energy technologies. Unlike nuclear or other generation technologies, the expansion plan of renewable energy is highly uncertain because of its dependency on the government policy and uncertainty associated with technology improvements. To address this issue, we conduct a delphi survey and forecast the capacity of renewable energy. We further propose a stochastic mixed integer programming model that determines an optimal capacity expansion and the amount of power generation using each generation technology. Using the proposed model, we test eight generation mix scenarios and particularly evaluate how much the expansion of renewable energy contributes to the total costs for power generation in Korea. The evaluation results show that the use of renewable energy incurs additional costs.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.5-10
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• 2018

Nuclear energy issues such as safety and social acceptance can not only influence the production costs of generating nuclear power, but also the external costs that are not reflected in market prices. Consequently, the social issues affiliated with nuclear power, beyond a severe accident, require some form of financial expense. The external social issues considered here are accident risk and realization, regulatory costs, and nuclear energy policy costs. Through several calculations and analyses of these external costs for nuclear power generation, it is concluded that these costs range from 7 to 27 \/kWh. Considering external costs are required for making energy plans, it could have an influence on generation costs.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.462-479
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• 2003

The policy trends of use and the development of nuclear power in the United States, France, United Kingdom. Germany, Russia, China, Japan and Korea are briefly investigated. Nuclear power technology has been developed as the national policy in the nuclear-advanced countries. 50 years has passed since the declaration of "Atoms for Peace" by USA President Eisenhour in December 1953. Recently, it appears to revitalize the nuclear power program in world major countries in order to recover the shortage of electric power and to curb the excess emission of carbon dioxide as well as to secure competitiveness in electricity markets. Advanced countries are making new initiatives for the development of the fourth generation nuclear power system. Furthermore, wide-ranged use and development of nuclear power technologies are expected in district heating in commercial sectors, power in the space exploration, and propulsion power of large tankers and spaceships. High temperature gas cooled nuclear power reactor will be applied for mass production of hydrogen energy in the future.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.203-214
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• 2010

This study is to assess the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and economic contribution by operating nuclear power plants in Korea. According to the results of applying greenhouse gas emission coefficients to the current nuclear power generation and the estimated nuclear power generation of national energy master plan, it is confirmed quantitatively that nuclear power contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emission, controlling inflation, and substituting import of fossil energies. For the reliable and cost-effective supply of energy and the active respondency to climate change, a continuous expansion of nuclear power is implied to be necessary.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.367-391
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• 2013

After the Fukushima nuclear accident, the external costs of generating electricity from nuclear power plants such as additional safety compliance costs and possible accident risk action costs have gained increasing attention from the public, policy-makers and politicians. Consequently, estimates of the external costs of nuclear power are very deliberate issue that is at the center of the controversy in Korea. In this paper, we try to calculate the external costs associated with the safety of the nuclear power plants, particularly focusing on additional safety compliance costs and possible accident risk action costs. To estimate the possible accident risk action costs, we adopt the damages expectation approach that is very similar way from the external cost calculation of Japanese government after the Fukushima accident. In addition, to estimate additional safety compliance costs, we apply the levelized cost of generation method. Furthermore, we perform the sensitivity analysis to examine how much these social costs increase the electricity price rate. Estimation results of the additional security measure cost is 0.53Won/kWh ~ 0.80Won/kWh depending on the capacity factor, giving little change on the nuclear power generation cost. The estimates of possible accident risk action costs could be in the wide range depending on the different damages of the nuclear power accident, probability of the severe nuclear power accident and the capacity factor. The preliminary results show that it is 0.0025Won/kWh ~ 26.4188Won/kWh. After including those two external costs on the generation cost of a nuclear power plant, increasing rate of electricity price is 0.001%~10.0563% under the capacity factor from 70% to 90%. This paper tries to examine the external costs of nuclear power plants, so as to include it into the generation cost and the electricity price. This paper suggests one of the methodologies that we might internalize the nuclear power generations' external cost, including it into the internal generation cost.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2017

Background: To help future generations make accurate value judgments about nuclear power generation and radiation, this study will provide an effective education plan suitable for South Korea by applying and analyzing programs for the understanding of nuclear power within the diversely operated programs in the current Korean education system. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed the difference in educational effects by operating a 13-session regular curriculum for one semester and a one-session short-term curriculum from March to July 2016. Results and Discussion: As a result of operating a 13-session model school and a one-time educational program to analyze behavior changes against the traditional learning model, it was found that all elementary, middle and high school students showed higher acceptability of nuclear power in South Korea. The variation was greater for the model school than the short-term program. Conclusion: To prevent future generations from making biased policy decisions stemming from fear regarding nuclear power, it is necessary to bolster their value judgments in policy decisions by acquiring sufficient information about nuclear power generation and radiation through educational programs.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.57-80
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• 2006

Nuclear technology made a great contribution to the national economy and society by localization of nuclear power plant design, and by stabilization of electricity price, etc. It is very important to conduct the retrospective analysis for the nuclear technology contribution to the national economy and society, but it is more important to conduct prospective analysis for the nuclear technology contribution. The term "technology value" is often used in the prospective analysis to value the result of technology development. There are various definitions of technology value, but generally it means the increment of future revenue or the reduction of future cost by technology development. These technology valuation methods are widely used in various fields (information technology or energy technology, etc). The main objective of this research is to develop valuation methodology that represents unique characteristics of nuclear power technology. The valuation methodology that incorporates market share changes of generation technologies was developed. The technology valuation model which consists of five modules (electricity demand forecast module, technology development module, market share module, electricity generation module, total cost module) to incorporate market share changes of generation technologies was developed. The nuclear power technology value assessed by this technology valuation model was 3 times more than the value assessed by the conventional method. So it was confirmed that it is very important to incorporates market share changes of generation technologies. The valuation results of nuclear power technology in this study can be used as policy data for ensuring the benefits of nuclear power R&D (Research and Development) investment.