Energy in South Korea

Energy in South Korea describes energy and electricity production, consumption and importation in South Korea.

South Korea is a major energy importer, importing nearly all of its oil needs and being the second-largest importer of liquefied natural gas in the world. Electricity generation in the country comes from conventional thermal power, which accounts for more than two thirds of production, and from nuclear power.[1]

Energy producers were dominated by government enterprises, although privately operated coal mines and oil refineries also existed. The National Assembly enacted a broad electricity sector restructuring program in 2000, but the restructuring process was halted amid political controversy in 2004 and remains a topic of intense political debate.[2]

South Korea has no proven oil reserves.[1] Exploration until the 1980s in the Yellow Sea and on the continental shelf between Korea and Japan did not find any offshore oil. Coal supply in the country is insufficient and of low quality. The potential for hydroelectric power is limited because of high seasonal variations in the weather and the concentration of most of the rainfall in the summer. Accordingly, the government is increasingly focused on developing nuclear power generation.[3]

Overview

Final energy consumption by source (2010):[4]

Energy in South Korea[5]
Capita Prim. energy Production Import Electricity CO2-emission
Million TWh TWh TWh TWh Mt
2004 48.08 2,478 442 2,140 355 462
2007 48.46 2,584 494 2,213 412 489
2008 48.61 2,639 520 2,269 430 501
2009 48.75 2,665 515 2,304 438 515
2010 48.88 2,908 522 2,571 481 563
2012 49.78 3,029 546 2,644 506 588
2012R 50.00 3,064 538 2,659 517 593
2013 50.22 3,068 507 2,723 524 572
Change 2004-10 1.7 % 17.3 % 18.1 % 20.1 % 35.5 % 21.9 %
Mtoe = 11.63 TWh, Prim. energy includes energy losses that are 2/3 for nuclear power[6]

2012R = CO2 calculation criteria changed, numbers updated

Electric power

The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) provided electricity in the country. When KEPCO's predecessor, KECO, was founded in 1961, annual power production was 1,770 million kilowatt-hours (kwhr). Production reached 73,992 million kwhr in 1987. In 1987, residential customers used 17.9% of total production, public and service businesses, 16.2%, and the industrial sector, 65.9%. Sources of power generation were primarily nuclear power, coal, oil, and liquefied natural gas. Of the 54,885 million kwhr of electricity generated in 1985, 22% came from nuclear plants then in operation, 74% from non-nuclear thermal plants (oil and coal), and 4% from hydroelectric sites. It was predicted in 1988 that the generation structure by the year 2000 would be 10.2% hydroelectric, 12.2% oil, 22.9% coal, 10.2% LNG, and 44.5% nuclear. More recent statistics:

Electricity production in South Korea, GWh
Source 2008 2009 2010 2011
Thermal 264,747 (62.7%) 278,400 (64.2%) 315,608 (66.5%) 324,354 (65.3%)
Nuclear 150,958 (35.7%) 147,771 (34.1%) 148,596 (31.3%) 154,723 (31.1%)
Hydro 5,561 (1.3%) 5,641 (1.3%) 6,472 (1.4%) 7,831 (1.6%)
Other 1,090 (0.3%) 1,791 (0.4%) 3,984 (0.8%) 9,985 (2.0%)
Total 422,355 433,604 474,660 496,893

Thermal

KOGAS (한국가스공사) acts as importer of LNG for the power generators.

Cogeneration and steam-heating

Nuclear Power

South Korea placed a heavy emphasis on nuclear power generation. The country's first nuclear power plant, the Kori Number One located near Pusan, which opened in 1977. Eight plants operated in 1987 when atomic power generation was an estimated 71,158 million kilowatts, or 53.1% of total electric power.

Renewable energy

Solar potential map
Main article: Renewable energy

The government decision in July 2008 to increase investment in renewable energy to reduce reliance on foreign oil imports may provide an incentive for conglomerates' solar plans.[7] The Ministry of Knowledge and Economy said the country intends to spend 194.4 billion won ($193 million) on technologies and projects, including solar, wind and biofuels, in 2008.[7]

Solar

South Korea is fast-growing gigawatt-market for photovoltaics (PV). In 2014, the country ranked among the world-leading top-ten installers of PV systems.

Hydro

Hydro also comes under Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Ltd. (한국수력원자력㈜)

Global warming

According to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center CDIAC South Korea is among the top ten, namely ninth, highest country in carbon dioxide emissions in the period 1950-2005. The USA (25%), China (10%) and Russia (8%) are the countries with the highest carbon dioxide emissions from 1950-2005.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Korea, South". US Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Which Direction for South Korean Electricity Policy?" (PDF). Korean Energy Economic Review 13 (2014) 145-178. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/article/2015/approaches-nuclear-cooperation
  4. ↑ http://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/polwiss/forschung/systeme/ffu/veranstaltungen_aktuell/veranstaltungen_downloads/11_salzburg/Leem.pdf
  5. ↑ IEA Key World Energy Statistics Statistics 2015, 2014 (2012R as in November 2015 + 2012 as in March 2014 is comparable to previous years statistical calculation criteria, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2006 IEA October, crude oil p.11, coal p. 13 gas p. 15
  6. ↑ Energy in Sweden 2010, Facts and figures, The Swedish Energy Agency, Table 8 Losses in nuclear power stations Table 9 Nuclear power brutto
  7. 1 2 http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/south-korea-to-boost-renewable-energy-investments-by-60-1191.html
  8. ↑ State of the world 2009, Worldwatch institute 2009, statistics 219-223, CDIAC Carbon dioxide information analysis center (http://www.cdiac.ornl.gov/trends)
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