This Winter, Up to 16 Coal Power Plants to Halt Operation... Fine Dust Reduction

Up to 30% Suspension of Coal Power Generation in Winter... Fine Dust Decreases by 2,838 Tons Compared to Before 'Seasonal Management System' Implementation
Maximum Power Demand This Winter 90.3~93.5GW... Minimum Reserve Margin Maintained Above 10.1GW

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The government will suspend the operation of 8 to 16 coal-fired power plants to reduce fine dust during the winter season. With a total of 53 domestic coal-fired power plants, this means that up to 30% of all coal power generation will be halted.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reviewed and finalized the "Winter Power Supply and Coal Power Reduction Measures" at the 137th National Policy Issue Inspection and Coordination Meeting on the 25th.

First, among the 53 public coal-fired power plants, 8 to 16 will be shut down, and output limits will be imposed on up to 46 plants. The government first introduced the "Seasonal Fine Dust Management System" in 2019, and last year, 9 to 16 out of 56 coal-fired power plants were suspended. With this winter's coal power reduction, fine dust emissions are expected to decrease by 2,838 tons compared to before the implementation of the seasonal management system (December 2018 to December 2019).

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained, "We will promote the suspension and output limits of coal power plants considering stable power supply, grid maintenance, and international liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices and supply conditions."

The government expects the maximum power demand this winter to be around 90.3 GW under the baseline forecast and around 93.5 GW under the upper forecast. The baseline forecast applies the average temperature of the 10 lowest years (-5.4°C) during the peak power week over the past 30 years, while the upper forecast applies the average temperature of the 3 lowest years (-9°C). Power supply capacity at peak demand is planned to be maintained at 110.2 GW, and the minimum reserve margin will remain above 10.1 GW even after implementing coal power reduction.

The government has designated the period from December 1st this year to February next year as the "Winter Power Supply Measures Period" and will continuously monitor and manage supply and demand situations with related power institutions such as the Korea Power Exchange, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), and power generation companies. Depending on the reserve margin level, additional reserve resources of 9.7 to 13.5 GW will be deployed if necessary.

Additionally, the government plans to strengthen inspections on energy use rationalization at public institutions while encouraging changes in consumption behavior in the private sector. The private sector will enhance participatory programs in collaboration with commercial, household, and civic groups, and use communication media such as YouTube and social networking services (SNS) to encourage voluntary energy-saving participation.

Furthermore, special inspections will be conducted on major transmission and distribution facilities and power plants, with additional safety inspections and management promoted. In particular, equipment monitoring will be strengthened to prepare for power plant freezing and solar panel freezing caused by heavy snow and cold waves.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "We will thoroughly implement this winter's power supply and coal power reduction measures to ensure stable power supply management so that the public can use electricity with peace of mind this winter."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.