Government Announces 'New Administration's Energy Policy Direction'
2017 'Nuclear Phase-out Roadmap' Abandoned
Nuclear Power Share Raised to 30% Range by 2030
President Yoon Seok-yeol Saluting the National Flag(Seoul=Yonhap News) Photo by Seo Myeong-gon = President Yoon Seok-yeol is saluting the national flag during the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the morning of the 5th. 2022.7.5
seephoto@yna.co.kr
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[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has completely abandoned the ‘nuclear phase-out’ policy. It replaced the Moon Jae-in administration’s ‘Energy Transition (Nuclear Phase-out) Roadmap,’ which specified a gradual reduction in the share of nuclear power generation, with the ‘New Government Energy Policy Direction.’ The plan to raise the share of nuclear power to the 30% range was also formalized as a policy goal.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 5th at 10 a.m. that the ‘New Government Energy Policy Direction’ was deliberated and approved at the 30th Cabinet meeting presided over by President Yoon Suk-yeol. The New Government Energy Policy Direction is a kind of policy blueprint that presents the goals and direction of energy policy to be pursued by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration over the next five years. Based on this energy policy direction, the government plans to finalize the 10th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand in the fourth quarter.
The New Government Energy Policy Direction directly targets the nuclear phase-out policy. From this day forward, the government officially decided to replace the ‘Energy Transition (Nuclear Phase-out) Roadmap’ established by the Moon Jae-in administration in 2017 with the new energy policy direction. The Energy Transition Roadmap, which centered on halting new nuclear power plant construction, was regarded as a symbol of the nuclear phase-out policy.
President Yoon Visits Cladding Material Storage for Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 (Changwon=Yonhap News) Photo by Seomyeongon Seo = On the morning of the 22nd of last month, President Yoon Seok-yeol visited Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, Gyeongnam, where he received an explanation about the Korean nuclear power plant APR1400 at the cladding material storage for the reactors and steam generators of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4. 2022.6.22 seephoto@yna.co.kr (End) The government also replaced the 3rd Basic Energy Plan finalized in 2019 with the new energy policy direction. This is because the Basic Energy Plan, the highest-level statutory plan in the energy sector, contains a ‘nail in the coffin’ for nuclear power phase-out. Previously, the Moon Jae-in administration established the Basic Energy Plan based on the Energy Transition Roadmap, which specified a reduction in the share of nuclear power. Without revising the Basic Energy Plan, it would be difficult to pursue policies to strengthen nuclear power, such as extending the operation of existing nuclear plants and resuming construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4.
The increase in the share of nuclear power was also formalized. The energy policy direction includes a specific target to raise the share of nuclear power to the 30% range by 2030. To achieve this, the government plans to increase the number of operating nuclear reactors from the current 24 to 28 by 2030 and expand the installed capacity to 28.9 MW.
An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, “The New Government Energy Policy Direction replaces previous government policies such as the Energy Transition Roadmap both domestically and internationally,” adding, “We plan to specify and implement this direction through related statutory plans such as the 10th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand.”
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