South Korea approves new coal power to diversify generation sources

• 11 years ago (2013-02-01)
• Junior Isles

Africa 322 Asia 894 Australasia 56 Biomass 8 Climate change 21 Coal 298 Cogeneration 1 Concentrating solar 5 Cyber security 8 Decarbonisation 1 Decentralised energy 6 Demand side management 3 Demand side response 2 Digitalisation 10 Distributed energy 10 Distribution 122 Electric vehicles EVs 4 Emissions 65 Energy management 2 Equipment 2 Europe 1089 Gas 394 Gas engine plant 64 Gas fuel 2 Horizon 2 Hydroelectric 17 Hydrogen 60 Hydropower 131 Latin America 80 Maintenance 3 Marine 1 Metering 2 microgrid 5 Middle East 327 North America 1021 Nuclear 660 Offshore wind 121 Oil 19 Operations 4 Policy 9 Regulations 3 Renewables 777 smart grid 2 Solar 273 Storage 45 substation 8 Tepco 2 Tidal 2 Toshiba 4 Transmission 191 US Senate Washington 4 Wind 257

---

South Korea has granted approval for four private companies to build eight new coal-fired power plants, with a total generating capacity of 8000 MW, as part of its plan to spread energy investment among state and private power generators.

The private companies, Samsung C&T; Corp., Tongyang Power Co., SK Engineering & Construction Co. and a Dongbu Group unit, will complete the plants by 2027, according to a government statement.

This move marks the first time in 30 years that South Korea has allowed private operators to build coal-fired plants. South Korea relies on imported oil for its general and power generation needs, and is trying to cut reliance on crude and diversify energy sources to include renewables and other clean energies.

With the public currently vulnerable to blackouts, there is a pressing need for new generation sources.

The new plan aims to develop a power generation capacity that will exceed demand by 22 per cent, by 2027.

South Korea also aims to have enough renewable energy facilities to generate 32 GW, 20 per cent of overall generation needs, by 2027.