▲ A nuclear reactor is being installed at the Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant in Guangxi, China.
The number of nuclear power plants in China is rapidly increasing, and the amount of tritium emitted is twice that of South Korea. Experts believe that even if the number of nuclear power plants in China increases, it will have little impact on South Korea as long as it operates normally.
According to South Korea’s Nuclear Safety Commission, as of 2022, when tritium emissions were last published, 214 terabecquerels of liquid tritium were emitted annually from 27 nuclear power plants in South Korea. 7.9 terabecquerels per reactor. On the other hand, China is building nuclear power plants.
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▲ A nuclear reactor is being installed at the Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant in Guangxi, China.
The number of nuclear power plants in China is rapidly increasing, and the amount of tritium emitted is twice that of South Korea. Experts believe that even if the number of nuclear power plants in China increases, it will have little impact on South Korea as long as it operates normally.
According to South Korea’s Nuclear Safety Commission, as of 2022, when tritium emissions were last published, 214 terabecquerels of liquid tritium were emitted annually from 27 nuclear power plants in South Korea. 7.9 terabecquerels per reactor. On the other hand, China released 425 terabecquerels of tritium in 2018 due to the operation of nuclear power plants. At that time, China had 46 nuclear power plants, far more than South Korea, and the emissions per reactor were 1.2 times that of South Korea. Since 55 reactors are currently in operation, emissions are expected to increase accordingly.
As of 2018, Japan, which has sparked controversy over the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, had nine reactors in operation, emitting 110 terabecquerels of tritium. Until 2010, it operated 54 nuclear power plants, but these figures were taken when most of the nuclear power plants were suspended due to the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. Japan currently has 33 operational nuclear power plants.
Chung Bum-jin, professor of nuclear engineering at Kyung Hee University, said, “Even if the number of nuclear power plants increases in China and Japan, tritium emissions during normal operation will not have a significant impact on us. However, if a nuclear accident occurs in China, The Korean peninsula will fall within its direct sphere of influence.” This is because China’s nuclear power plants are concentrated in coastal areas near South Korea, so if a nuclear power plant accident were to occur, they could be affected by radiation. Even if radiation leaks from a nuclear accident in Japan, it will be carried to the Pacific Ocean by the Kuroshio Current, so it will not have a direct impact on South Korea.
As of 2019, the United States is emitting 1,714 terabecquerels of tritium each year from 96 nuclear power plants. Tritium emissions per reactor in France are also nearly double those in South Korea. Canada, which operates only heavy-water nuclear power plants, emits 1,831 terabecquerels of tritium from 21 reactors. Emissions per reactor are also 87.2 terabecquerels, 11 times that of South Korea. However, there are no examples of discussions over tritium emissions in these countries. “The amount of tritium emitted differs depending on the type of nuclear power plant, such as heavy-water reactors and light-water reactors,” Chung said.
Reporter Hwang Gyu-rak
Chosun Ilbo / Chosun Ilbo Japanese version
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