South Korea might abandon nuclear power

Part of fallout from bogus safety certificates scandal. A government working group has recommended a cut in South Korea's reliance on nuclear power. It cited a fall in public confidence in nuclear plant safety triggered by Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 2011. The study recommended South Korea’s nuclear power capacity be kept between 22% and 29% of the total by 2035, well below existing plans to grow the sector to 41% in less than 20 years. In 2012, nuclear accounted for 26% of total generating capacity. The government will hold public hearings to decide whether to back the recommendation before finalizing its energy policy in December. Coal made up about 31% of power generation capacity in 2012 while LNG contributed 26%. Three of South Korea's 23 reactors are offline due to the fake safety certificates, while another will be shut on Oct. 30 to examine welding quality related to the safety of a steam generator. Two others are also offline for regular maintenance and a sixth one is shut, awaiting an extension of its 30-year life span. Of six reactors under construction, three have been delayed from start-up, also because of safety issues.