By Choi Sung-jin
Last year, Korea recorded its lowest plant ratio -- capacity utilization ratio of power plants -- since 2000. In particular, more than half of LNG combined cycle thermal power plants, which produce relatively less fine dusts, sat idle.
According to a statistical report released by the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEOCO) Monday, the nation's plant ratio stood at 61.7 percent last year, down 2.2 percentage points from 2014. That means nearly four out of every 10 power stations remained closed, industry officials said.
The plant ratio was 62.2 percent in 2000 and had risen to peak at 73.9 percent in 2011. It has since fallen by 4.6 percentage points a year on average to hit its lowest last year.
By energy source, the plant ratio of LNG (liquefied natural gas) combined cycle thermal stations, which pollute the environment relatively less, showed the steepest drop, from 67 percent in 2014 to 40.3 percent last year, the report said.
On the other hand, the plant ratio of coal-fired power stations, the main culprits of fine dust, did not fall much, from 93.6 percent to 90.1 percent over the cited period. That ratio of nuclear power plants rose from 75.5 percent to 85.3 percent.
These statistics show that KEPCO buys electricity mainly from stations with lower generation costs, such as coal and nuclear power plants, pushing up their plant ratios to 90 percent. For the same reason, the state utility avoids buying power from integrated gasification combined cycle power stations, pulling down their plant ratios to the 40 percent range.
By energy source, KEPCO paid the lowest price of 62.61 won per 1 kWh to nuclear power plants, followed by 71.14 won to bituminous coal plants, 105.99 won to wind plants, 107.78 won to anthracite coal plants, 153.84 won for solar plants and 169.49 won to LNG plants. The generation cost of LNG plants is more than twice that of nuclear and coal plants.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy basic power demand and supply plan, of the 53 coal plants, the government will shut down 10 that have been operating for 30 years or more by 2025 while replacing environmental facilities or increasing emission-controlling equipment at the remaining ones, to keep its promise to reduce greenhouse gases by 37 percent in business as usual terms by 2030.
However, the Korean government plans to build 20 more coal plants by 2029. Government officials will apply far stricter emission standards on the newly built coal plants to reduce 24 percent of fine dusts (6,600 tons), 16 percent of sulfur oxides (11,000 tons) and 57 percent of nitrogen oxides (58,000 tons) from 2015 in BAU terms, by 2030.
But experts say the government plan runs squarely counter to global trends.
The 10 coal plants scheduled for shutdowns are small ones with generation capacity of 200,000 to 500,000 kW while the 20 being built are large ones with capacity of 500,000 to 1 million kW. The combined capacity of 18,100 MW for the 20 new coal plants is about six times larger than the 3,345 MW of the old plants, they said.
Last year, Korea recorded its lowest plant ratio -- capacity utilization ratio of power plants -- since 2000. In particular, more than half of LNG combined cycle thermal power plants, which produce relatively less fine dusts, sat idle.
According to a statistical report released by the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEOCO) Monday, the nation's plant ratio stood at 61.7 percent last year, down 2.2 percentage points from 2014. That means nearly four out of every 10 power stations remained closed, industry officials said.
The plant ratio was 62.2 percent in 2000 and had risen to peak at 73.9 percent in 2011. It has since fallen by 4.6 percentage points a year on average to hit its lowest last year.
By energy source, the plant ratio of LNG (liquefied natural gas) combined cycle thermal stations, which pollute the environment relatively less, showed the steepest drop, from 67 percent in 2014 to 40.3 percent last year, the report said.
On the other hand, the plant ratio of coal-fired power stations, the main culprits of fine dust, did not fall much, from 93.6 percent to 90.1 percent over the cited period. That ratio of nuclear power plants rose from 75.5 percent to 85.3 percent.
These statistics show that KEPCO buys electricity mainly from stations with lower generation costs, such as coal and nuclear power plants, pushing up their plant ratios to 90 percent. For the same reason, the state utility avoids buying power from integrated gasification combined cycle power stations, pulling down their plant ratios to the 40 percent range.
By energy source, KEPCO paid the lowest price of 62.61 won per 1 kWh to nuclear power plants, followed by 71.14 won to bituminous coal plants, 105.99 won to wind plants, 107.78 won to anthracite coal plants, 153.84 won for solar plants and 169.49 won to LNG plants. The generation cost of LNG plants is more than twice that of nuclear and coal plants.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy basic power demand and supply plan, of the 53 coal plants, the government will shut down 10 that have been operating for 30 years or more by 2025 while replacing environmental facilities or increasing emission-controlling equipment at the remaining ones, to keep its promise to reduce greenhouse gases by 37 percent in business as usual terms by 2030.
However, the Korean government plans to build 20 more coal plants by 2029. Government officials will apply far stricter emission standards on the newly built coal plants to reduce 24 percent of fine dusts (6,600 tons), 16 percent of sulfur oxides (11,000 tons) and 57 percent of nitrogen oxides (58,000 tons) from 2015 in BAU terms, by 2030.
But experts say the government plan runs squarely counter to global trends.
The 10 coal plants scheduled for shutdowns are small ones with generation capacity of 200,000 to 500,000 kW while the 20 being built are large ones with capacity of 500,000 to 1 million kW. The combined capacity of 18,100 MW for the 20 new coal plants is about six times larger than the 3,345 MW of the old plants, they said.
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