Energy Professors Association Criticizes Government's 2050 Decarbonization Scenario as a Hasty Plan

225 Professors from 61 Universities Join
"Carbon Neutrality by 2050 Impossible with Renewable Energy Expansion Alone"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ji-hwan Park] Energy expert professors have criticized the carbon neutrality scenarios announced by the government.

The Professors' Council for Rational Energy Policy (PCREP) issued a statement on the 11th, criticizing, "The three 2050 carbon neutrality scenarios announced by the Carbon Neutrality Committee on the 5th are rushed plans with no consideration of feasibility."

PCREP is a professors' organization established in 2018 with the goal of pursuing 'rational energy policy.' Currently, 225 professors from 61 universities are members.

PCREP pointed out that "(the carbon neutrality scenarios) fundamentally excluded nuclear power, which is the most effective means to achieve carbon neutrality," and criticized, "They fell into anti-nuclear dogmatism, making the realization of carbon neutrality impossible."

PCREP also noted that expanding only renewable energy cannot achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To increase the share of renewable energy, a vast amount of land is required to build power facilities, which is realistically difficult to secure, and the inefficiency of energy transition will inevitably lead to electricity price increases.

They also raised the issue of costs for energy storage systems (ESS), which must be installed during the expansion of renewable energy. PCREP stated, "As the proportion of renewable energy generation increases, storage costs may become more expensive than generation costs, so the cost of expanding ESS must be considered," and criticized, "The fact that ESS is not even mentioned in the scenario text clearly reveals the irrationality of the plan."

PCREP argued, "If nuclear power is reduced according to the Carbon Neutrality Committee's scenarios and only renewable energy is insisted upon, electricity prices will be two to three times higher than now," and added, "Especially, since it will severely impact key industries such as semiconductors and automobiles, the calculation basis of the three scenarios by the Carbon Neutrality Committee must be transparently disclosed."

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