SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korea will build two new large-scale nuclear reactors by 2038 as planned, the country's climate minister said Monday.
Kim Sung-whan, minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, told a press briefing that the government will proceed with the construction of new nuclear power plants under the 11th basic plan for electricity supply and demand as scheduled.
The 11th basic plan, which was finalized in February 2025 to outline the country's power supply plan for the 2024-2038 period, included plans to build two new large-scale reactors between 2037 and 2038 and the first commercial small modular reactor by 2035.
Kim said that addressing climate change required the reduction of carbon emissions across all sectors, noting that lower reliance on coal and liquified natural gas was necessary to cut carbon in the power generation sector.
He stressed that the country needed power system operations centered on renewable energy and nuclear power.
The state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. planned to begin accepting bids for new reactor sites soon, followed by the process of site evaluation and selection for five to six months.
It aimed to acquire construction permits in the early 2030s and complete the construction in 2037 and 2038.
The 12th basic plan for the 2026-2040 period would forecast electricity demand driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, while providing a scientific and objective roadmap for the carbon-neutral energy mix and decentralized power grid infrastructure, according to the ministry. ■