Kim Seong-hwan, the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, stated on August 18 that the government plans to restart demand forecasting due to increased energy needs.
During a briefing session at the government complex in Sejong, he noted that the direction for the 12th Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand (12th power supply plan) is not yet finalized.
The government intends to reassess power demand forecasts through 2040, taking into account significant new electricity demands from sectors like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. The goal is to prepare a government proposal for the 12th power supply plan by October, following public discussions in August and September.
A key issue in this plan will be whether to construct additional nuclear power plants and the scale of such projects. Minister Kim emphasized, "The main concern remains whether to proceed with nuclear power and, if so, how many additional plants to build. This will be a major point of contention in the energy mix debate."
The method for public consultation regarding the inclusion of new nuclear plants is expected to be finalized soon. Kim explained, "We need to determine how to engage experts and the public in discussions about whether to include nuclear power in the 12th power supply plan. We aim to finalize this process by the end of this week or next week at the latest to stay on schedule."
However, he expressed caution regarding the necessity and appropriate scale of new nuclear plants, stating, "As the minister of the relevant department, I cannot unilaterally decide government policy. We will make a judgment after a thorough discussion process."
The restructuring of the power generation mix following the planned cessation of coal power by 2040 is also a significant topic of discussion. The government plans to review how to handle 20 coal power plants that will still be operational after 2040, as their design life will not have expired, and how to replace the reduction in coal power generation with alternative sources.
The expansion of renewable energy and the roles of supporting technologies such as batteries, pumped storage, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) generation will also be discussed. Kim noted, "Renewable energy and nuclear power may conflict during spring and fall. We need to consider how much battery or pumped storage capacity to deploy and how to reduce the carbon emissions from the inevitable increase in gas generation. We plan to initiate public discussions on these issues soon."
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment aims to gather opinions on the power generation mix through sector-specific discussions. Kim stated, "We are not approaching this with predetermined answers. We will seek to find common ground through discussions and gather opinions to make decisions."
A basic plan for a 'regional industrial electricity rate system' that applies differentiated rates based on regions will be unveiled next week. Originally scheduled for a public hearing this week, the timeline was postponed due to the Ulchi training exercises.
Kim explained, "We decided to name it the regional industrial electricity rate system to avoid confusion among residents regarding whether their rates would also be differentiated. We will present the plan at next week's public hearing and gather public opinion." The government plans to finalize the proposal based on regional classification criteria being developed by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
During a briefing session at the government complex in Sejong, he noted that the direction for the 12th Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand (12th power supply plan) is not yet finalized.
The government intends to reassess power demand forecasts through 2040, taking into account significant new electricity demands from sectors like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. The goal is to prepare a government proposal for the 12th power supply plan by October, following public discussions in August and September.
A key issue in this plan will be whether to construct additional nuclear power plants and the scale of such projects. Minister Kim emphasized, "The main concern remains whether to proceed with nuclear power and, if so, how many additional plants to build. This will be a major point of contention in the energy mix debate."
The method for public consultation regarding the inclusion of new nuclear plants is expected to be finalized soon. Kim explained, "We need to determine how to engage experts and the public in discussions about whether to include nuclear power in the 12th power supply plan. We aim to finalize this process by the end of this week or next week at the latest to stay on schedule."
However, he expressed caution regarding the necessity and appropriate scale of new nuclear plants, stating, "As the minister of the relevant department, I cannot unilaterally decide government policy. We will make a judgment after a thorough discussion process."
The restructuring of the power generation mix following the planned cessation of coal power by 2040 is also a significant topic of discussion. The government plans to review how to handle 20 coal power plants that will still be operational after 2040, as their design life will not have expired, and how to replace the reduction in coal power generation with alternative sources.
The expansion of renewable energy and the roles of supporting technologies such as batteries, pumped storage, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) generation will also be discussed. Kim noted, "Renewable energy and nuclear power may conflict during spring and fall. We need to consider how much battery or pumped storage capacity to deploy and how to reduce the carbon emissions from the inevitable increase in gas generation. We plan to initiate public discussions on these issues soon."
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment aims to gather opinions on the power generation mix through sector-specific discussions. Kim stated, "We are not approaching this with predetermined answers. We will seek to find common ground through discussions and gather opinions to make decisions."
A basic plan for a 'regional industrial electricity rate system' that applies differentiated rates based on regions will be unveiled next week. Originally scheduled for a public hearing this week, the timeline was postponed due to the Ulchi training exercises.
Kim explained, "We decided to name it the regional industrial electricity rate system to avoid confusion among residents regarding whether their rates would also be differentiated. We will present the plan at next week's public hearing and gather public opinion." The government plans to finalize the proposal based on regional classification criteria being developed by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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