South Korea to increase solar power generation five-fold by 2030

• 6 years ago (2017-12-20)
• David Flin

Asia 859 Solar 249

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South Korea has announced that it plans to increase its solar-generated power by five times the current by 2030 to boost use of renewable sources in the country’s energy mix.

South Korea currently operates 24 nuclear reactors that generate about a third of its total electricity needs. President Moon Jae-in was elected in May on a platform of cutting South Korea’s reliance on nuclear energy, and his government has stopped plans to build six more reactors.

South Korea plans to provide 20 per cent of the country’s total electricity production from renewable energy by 2030, up from 7 per cent in 2016. To meet that goal, it plans to add 30.8 GW of solar power capacity, and 16.5 GW of wind power capacity by 2030. As of 2017, South Korea has 5.7 GW of solar power capacity, and 1.2 GW of wind power capacity. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the additional capacity will come from major projects, as well as by converting individual households, farms, and small businesses to renewable energy. The ministry said that it aims to have one out of 30 households equipped with solar power generation by 2022, and to emphasise renewable energy projects with a combined generating capacity of about 5 GW between 2018 and 2022.