Lessons from Britain's coal phase-out

Sept. 30, 2024, marked a significant milestone in the global fight against climate change as Britain shut down its last coal-fired power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, which had been operational since 1967. Britain's move is especially meaningful given its historical role as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, powered by coal. Now, it became the first Group of Seven nation to eliminate coal power, demonstrating its leadership in transitioning to a sustainable future.

In 2015, Britain became the first country to announce a formal commitment to end coal power by 2025. Canada followed in 2016, setting its target for 2030. These two nations led the launch of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) at the UNFCCC COP23 in 2017, a global coalition dedicated to accelerating the phase-out of coal. Today, the PPCA has over 180 members, including national and subnational governments, businesses and organizations, all working to support the global transition from coal to renewable energy.

At the UNFCCC COP26 in 2021, the world's nations agreed to "phase down unabated coal power," and in 2023, at COP28, they committed to "transitioning away from fossil fuels." Most recently, the 2024 G7 summit pledged to phase out coal by the early 2030s. Britain's role in these international agreements has been critical.

According to Carbon Brief, Britain's successful coal phase-out was driven by four key factors: halting new coal plant construction, setting a clear phase-out timeline, ensuring the availability of renewable alternatives and pricing externalities, thus tipping the economic scales in favor of renewables. These elements provide valuable lessons for Korea, which still relies on coal for more than 30 percent of its power consumption.

First, Korea, while no longer building new coal-fired power plants, lacks a clear and ambitious phase-out timeline. The current goal of eliminating coal-fired power plants by 2050 is far behind international standards, giving insufficient incentive for the industry to prepare for a rapid transition. Setting a more urgent target, like Britain's, would send a stronger signal to both the public and private sectors.

Second, Korea's electricity demand is growing faster than Britain's, yet its share of renewable energy remains among the lowest in the OECD. While solar capacity has reached 24 gigawatts, it must grow more rapidly. Wind power, particularly offshore, has significant potential, but its current capacity is only 2 GWs. The government needs to prioritize offshore wind development, which could play a crucial role in meeting future energy demand.

Third, economic incentives are crucial. Korea should follow Britain's example by taxing fossil fuels more heavily and providing stronger support for renewables. Such policies would help renewables achieve economies of scale, driving down costs and making them more competitive against fossil fuels.

Britain was once referred to as "the empire where the sun never sets," a legacy associated with an imperial past that brought hardship to many countries. Today, Britain is a country where the wind power never stops, providing the global leadership required in an era of climate emergency.

Korea is one of the many countries in the world that suffered from imperial colonialism. One of the painful lessons from that period is the importance of staying aligned with global trends and technological advancements. As the world moves quickly toward a renewable energy future, Korea must not lag behind.

Unfortunately, the current dominant issue of nuclear versus renewable energy in Korean society is simply wrong. Regardless of whether we increase, maintain or reduce nuclear power, Koreas need to ambitiously scale up the renewable deployment because it is renewables that become the main source of energy in the future, replacing the current fossil fuels.

On July 20, 1978, at the inauguration ceremony for Korea's first nuclear power plant, the Kori-1, President Park Chung-hee said, "The construction of a nuclear power plant for the first time in our history is a monument to our country's modernization and national development, and we must now be more active in research and development of new resources such as solar, tidal and wind power."

It is not surprising that Park emphasized the importance of renewable energy, especially at the inception of nuclear power in Korea, because the country's dependence on energy imports has always been over 95 percent. If we can produce energy by utilizing Korea's natural resources, then renewable energy is a logical conclusion.

Korea's industrial development may have started later, but the country has much to learn from Britain's example. The energy transition offers Korea an opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint while enhancing energy security and industrial competitiveness. By promoting renewable energy more ambitiously, Korea can establish a stable, efficient, affordable, carbon-free energy system, aligned with global trends and climate goals.

Jang Daul (daul@oceanenergypathway.org) is a climate and energy expert and advocacy specialist. He is a columnist for The Korea Times