"Early Closure of Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant Needed"…Incheon Civic Groups Campaign on Environment Day

Campaign Urging Early Closure of Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant [Provided by the Transition Society Citizens' Action Preparatory Committee]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] On June 5th, Environment Day, civic groups in Incheon took action urging the early closure of the Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant.

The Transition Society Civic Action Preparatory Committee, composed of seven civic groups including Incheon Gyorehana and Incheon Peace Welfare Solidarity, held one-person campaigns at major subway stations in Incheon on the day, holding placards with the phrase "Early Closure of Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant."

The groups stated, "The Seoul Declaration adopted at the '2021 P4G Seoul Green Future Summit' held from May 30 to 31 includes recommendations to reduce dependence on coal power," and urged, "To reduce coal power dependence in the metropolitan area, the early closure of Yeongheung Coal Thermal Power Plant must be prioritized."

They added, "The '3rd Comprehensive Climate Change Response Plan of Incheon City' recently announced by Incheon only advances the closure schedule of Yeongheung Thermal Power Units 1 to 6 by 3 to 4 years," and criticized, "This is considerably distant from the goal set by the coal phase-out alliance joined last November, which calls for OECD countries and the EU28 to phase out coal by 2030, and falls far short of the Paris Climate Agreement implementation targets."

The greenhouse gas emissions from Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant were 32.29 million tons in 2018, accounting for half of Incheon’s total emissions of 65.83 million tons and about 20% of the metropolitan area’s emissions of 168.55 million tons.

Korea South-East Power, which operates Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant, held a board meeting last year and decided to fully close Units 1 and 2, which use coal as fuel, around 2034, the 30th year since their commissioning, and convert to liquefied natural gas (LNG) power generation.

However, environmental groups in the Incheon area argue that not only Units 1 and 2 should be closed by 2034, but all Units 3, 4, 5, and 6 should be shut down by 2030.

The Transition Society Civic Action emphasized, "The early closure of Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant in Incheon is fundamental and core to responding to the climate crisis," and stressed, "Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province must come together to devise reasonable alternatives for metropolitan greenhouse gas emissions and coal phase-out policies."

The groups plan to continuously carry out practical actions for the early closure of Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant by mobilizing the power of Incheon citizens and propose this as a pledge to presidential candidates from all political parties.