Construction of Unit 4 of the Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea has officially begun.

South Korea's Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced that on May 29 the cornerstone was laid for the 4th block of the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant, thereby officially starting the construction of this facility

This project, which envisions integrating advanced APR1400 reactors, represents a key pillar of South Korea's energy strategy. Under the current plan, Block 4 is slated to be completed in 2033, while the commissioning of Block 3 is expected a year earlier. When both blocks are put into operation, it is expected to meet as much as 46% of the region's annual electricity needs in the Gyeongbuk region.

Turning points in energy policy

KHNP President Kim Hoe-cheon stressed that these blocks form the cornerstone of the country's energy future, with safety as an absolute priority during construction, in order to contribute to the national goal of achieving carbon neutrality.

This achievement comes after years-long challenges. Although the project was initiated as far back as 2014, work was suspended in 2017 due to the then-government policy of gradually phasing out nuclear energy pursued by the previous administration.

The situation radically changed with the arrival of President Yoon Suk-yeol to power in 2022, who reversed the policy and again supported nuclear energy. The government approved an implementation plan in 2023, accelerating the permit acquisition process, and construction work on Blocks 3 and 4 was accelerated after building permits were issued in September 2024. For Block 3, the first concrete was poured in May 2025.

Technical and strategic importance and international context

To outfit these blocks, KHNP signed a contract worth $2.2 billion with Doosan Enerbility in March 2023, which will supply nuclear reactors, steam generators, and turbine generators.

South Korea relies on APR1400 technology as its main export and domestic asset—a reactor developed in collaboration with the American company Combustion Engeneering, and which, as a result, faces problems with every export attempt.

Namely, the company Combustion Engeneering is currently owned by Westinghouse, which claims that KHNP's license does not include the right to export, which has led to numerous legal battles between the two companies.

Currently, four such blocks are already operating in the country (Saeul 1 and 2, Shin Hanul 1 and 2), while two more blocks (Saeul 3 and 4) are under construction. In addition to domestic projects, this technology has been successfully applied at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates, where all four blocks are already in commercial operation, and in the Czech Republic it is also planned to build reactors of this design.

S.A.