South Korea Extends Nuclear Fuel Cycles to 24 Months Amid Surging AI Power Demand
South Korea is implementing a plan to extend the nuclear fuel replacement cycles at its domestic reactors from 18 months to 24 months. This initiative is driven by a rapidly increasing power demand, largely fueled by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and semiconductor clusters. KEPCO Engineering & Construction has initiated detailed design work for civil engineering and piping to facilitate this 24-month long-cycle operation, with a goal to pilot the application at two domestic reactors by 2030. This extension aims to increase the utilization of existing nuclear plants by reducing the frequency of maintenance shutdowns, thereby expanding the power supply. According to Professor Park Jong-bae of Konkuk University, this change is significantly beneficial for stable power supply, as it reduces periods of generation impossibility during maintenance or fuel replacement. The projected increase in peak power demand for 2040, reflecting these large-scale projects, has risen by 26.6 to 26.8...
