South Korea approves two new nuclear power plants

The government yesterday approved a US$7 billion project to build two nuclear plants, a boost for an industry struggling to emerge from the shadow of Japan's Fukushima disaster and the first approval since a policy review sparked by a safety scandal at Korean reactors.

Approval comes only two weeks after South Korea announced a policy shift to cut its reliance on nuclear generation to 29 per cent of total power supply by 2035, down from a planned 41 per cent by 2030.

A series of nuclear reactor shutdowns since last year due to safety issues have raised the risk of blackouts, putting pressure on policymakers to maintain power supplies in an economy relying on energy-intensive industries such as car-making, steel and electronics.

The approvals will also encourage South Korea's nuclear power industry, which still aims to export its expertise into a global market dominated by France, the United States and Russia.

South Korea, which ranks fifth globally in nuclear power generation, has largely developed its own nuclear industry, building and operating its reactors through state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp (Kepco).

Kepco won a contract in 2009 to build four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates and started construction in mid-2012.