Korea Electric Power Corporation ( KEPCO ) has officially announced that it will not build new coal-fired power generation projects abroad in the future. It is also considering turning two overseas coal-fired power plants it is currently developing to LNG-fired plants. KEPCO’s decision to exit the overseas coal-fired power plant market came in the wake of international criticism over its participation in Vietnam’s Vung Ang 2 project.
KEPCO is currently involved on four overseas projects. It will continue to work on Indonesia’s Java units 9 and 10 and Vietnam’s Vung Ang 2 projects. It is, however, considering changing the Pangasinan coal-fired power plant in the Philippines and the Tabamessi plant in South Africa into LNG-fired power plants.
KEPCO said that all overseas coal-fired power plant projects it operates will be terminated after 2050. A spokesperson said: “We plan to focus on renewable energy and combined cycle power plants in the era of energy conversion. In particular, we have no plans to pursue new overseas coal-fired power generation projects in the future.”