SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - South Korea is drafting a long-term energy roadmap that prioritizes renewable power while accelerating a phase-out of coal and reopening debate over the construction of new nuclear reactors.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Climate and Energy convened the first general committee meeting for electricity supply and demand at the government complex in Seoul, chaired by Minister Kim Sung-hwan. Updated every two years, the plan sets out national power demand forecasts and generation strategies for the 2026–2040 period.
The committee will prepare provisional proposals across five areas: electricity demand, generation facilities, power system innovation, market reform and a separate subcommittee on Jeju Island.
With the government placing greater emphasis on renewable energy, debate is expected to intensify over how quickly to raise its share in the power mix. The ministry’s recent pledge at the UN climate summit to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) has signaled a tougher stance on coal.
Coal remains a major source of electricity. Government data show coal accounted for 28.1 percent of power generation last year, down from a peak of 52.4 percent in 2017–2018, but still ranking third after nuclear and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Analysts say South Korea could face pressure to accelerate its timetable after the PPCA recommended that OECD members eliminate coal power by 2030. Seoul currently plans to shut all 61 coal-fired plants by 2040.
A faster coal exit could push up electricity prices. While the government argues that renewable costs are falling, their still-limited share in the energy mix could increase reliance on costlier LNG in the near term. The transition of workers from coal plants also remains a policy challenge.
Attention is also focused on whether plans for new nuclear reactors will be carried forward. The previous, 11th plan proposed two large reactors and one small modular reactor. The government said it aims to finalize public consultation methods on new nuclear projects by year-end.
“We will make early decisions on new nuclear plants through public surveys and forums and reflect them in the upcoming plan,” Kim said. “We will gather a wide range of views to address decarbonization, renewable intermittency and the operational constraints of nuclear power.”
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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