Korean Energy Economic Review ISSN:1599-7057(Print) 에너지경제연구

Recently, the role of nuclear power generation is drawing attention amid the Net Zero, and social demands for nuclear R&D are also increasing. In Korea, Nuclear R&D account is established and operated within the Nuclear Fund to support nuclear research and development. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power pays 1.2 won/kWh times the amount of nuclear power generated in the 2 years ago as a levy, and most of them are operated with this levy. However, its rate of levy was fixed by 1.2 won since the fund was established from the beginning of its establishment to the present. So it has the problem that it cannot properly reflect all environmental changes, making it difficult to carry out stable R&D. Based on this awareness of the problem, this study aims to re-estimate the appropriate rate of levy. Various nuclear power generation scenarios and R&D demand growth rate scenarios are organized to re-estimate appropriate rates to prevent deficits from occurring based on the accumulated amount in 2036. According to the analysis results, deficits are inevitable at current rate in the long run, and a rate of 1.45 won to 1.65 won/kWh is required to prevent the deficit from occurring in the accumulated amount every year by 2036. This study is expected to be helpful in laying the groundwork for a rate increase in the nuclear R&D account.