[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is seeking solutions to respond to employment crises in areas where coal-fired power plants are being closed, to build alternative power plants within the region, and to discover new industries such as hydrogen energy transition.
On the 12th, the province announced that Governor Kim Tae-heum of Chungnam Province met with executives and labor union chairpersons from the three power generation companies?Jungbu, Seobu, and Dongseo Power?for a roundtable discussion.
The meeting was organized to listen to each power company's response plans and labor union opinions regarding the phased closure of coal-fired power plants.
The discussion mainly focused on LNG power plant replacements following the coal-fired power plant closure plans, employment measures related to the shutdown of coal-fired power plants, and the discovery of alternative new industries such as hydrogen and ammonia.
The province plans to compile the regional community’s stance on the coal-fired power plant closures by reflecting the opinions shared by each party during the meeting and deliver this to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other central government bodies to urge the establishment of countermeasures.
Additionally, the province intends to focus on ensuring that its opinions are reflected in the government’s currently developing “10th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand.”
Governor Kim emphasized, “The global trend of decarbonization cannot be denied amid climate change. However, before closing existing coal-fired power plants, alternatives must be prepared, and appropriate compensation measures should follow for residents who have suffered long-term damages due to the operation of coal-fired power plants in the region.”
Meanwhile, Chungnam is home to 29 coal-fired power plants: 8 units in Boryeong, 10 units in Dangjin, 1 unit in Seocheon, and 10 units in Taean.
This accounts for more than half of the nation’s 57 units. The province ranks first nationwide with 22.9% of the country’s energy generation and 48.5% of coal-fired power generation.
On the other hand, 48% of the province’s energy generation is sent outside the region. This means that the energy production and consumption areas differ, which serves as evidence that while residents suffered significant damage from hosting coal-fired power plants, adequate compensation was not properly provided.
The current schedule for coal-fired power plant closures promoted by the province is planned as follows: 2 units in December 2020, 4 units in 2025, 1 unit in 2028, 3 units in 2029, 2 units in 2030, and 2 units in 2032.
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