By Choi Sung-jin
Korea's potential for power generation from renewable sources is 22 times greater than the nation's electricity use last year, a state think tank said Friday.
According to the 2016 edition of the "Renewable Energy White Paper," which will be formally released by the Korea Energy Agency at the end of this year, the nation's power generation potential from renewable energy amounts to 12,220 terawatt hours (TWh) a year.
The institute calculated renewable energy's potential for power generation by precisely assessing the potential of various renewable sources, including solar, wind, hydro, thermal, waste and tidal energy, the white paper reported.
It reflected only the technologically possible potential. In the case of solar energy, for instance, the institute reflected the technological efficiency of 16.0 percent on its calculation.
According to data at Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), the nation's total power consumption, including household and industrial use, amounted to 545.53 TWh last year, indicating that Korea can generate electricity from renewable energy sources alone that would be 22.4 times larger than its yearly consumption now.
Moreover, this potential refers to technologically possible level, which accounts for a mere 5 percent of "theoretically possible" potential, the paper stated.
The theoretical potential for electricity generation, including the amount of sunshine as measured by the Cheollian satellite, totals 246,766 TWh a year. Because of regulations, geographic conditions and technological problems, however, their technological potential is reduced to 12,220 TWh, it said.
In other words, the nation has a long way to go before making maximum use of renewable energy's potential for power generation, the paper said. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, renewable energy accounted for only 6.76 percent of Korea's power generation last year.
"Renewable energy that can be supplied realistically can't help but be reduced sharply compared with its potential because of its economic viability, government policy and environmental regulations," a researcher at the state think said. "The government needs to set up effective policies and ease regulations through interagency cooperation if the nation wants to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy security under the new global climate regime."
Korea's potential for power generation from renewable sources is 22 times greater than the nation's electricity use last year, a state think tank said Friday.
According to the 2016 edition of the "Renewable Energy White Paper," which will be formally released by the Korea Energy Agency at the end of this year, the nation's power generation potential from renewable energy amounts to 12,220 terawatt hours (TWh) a year.
The institute calculated renewable energy's potential for power generation by precisely assessing the potential of various renewable sources, including solar, wind, hydro, thermal, waste and tidal energy, the white paper reported.
It reflected only the technologically possible potential. In the case of solar energy, for instance, the institute reflected the technological efficiency of 16.0 percent on its calculation.
According to data at Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), the nation's total power consumption, including household and industrial use, amounted to 545.53 TWh last year, indicating that Korea can generate electricity from renewable energy sources alone that would be 22.4 times larger than its yearly consumption now.
Moreover, this potential refers to technologically possible level, which accounts for a mere 5 percent of "theoretically possible" potential, the paper stated.
The theoretical potential for electricity generation, including the amount of sunshine as measured by the Cheollian satellite, totals 246,766 TWh a year. Because of regulations, geographic conditions and technological problems, however, their technological potential is reduced to 12,220 TWh, it said.
In other words, the nation has a long way to go before making maximum use of renewable energy's potential for power generation, the paper said. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, renewable energy accounted for only 6.76 percent of Korea's power generation last year.
"Renewable energy that can be supplied realistically can't help but be reduced sharply compared with its potential because of its economic viability, government policy and environmental regulations," a researcher at the state think said. "The government needs to set up effective policies and ease regulations through interagency cooperation if the nation wants to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy security under the new global climate regime."
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