Along with the interest in climate change, discussions on carbon neutrality are growing. The Korean government also announced that it would achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Experts pointed out that to achieve this, a change in the tone of post-nuclear power plants is necessary.
Carbon dioxide is considered a key cause of climate change. Nicholas Stern, former vice president of the World Bank, predicted in his 2006 Stern Report that “if humanity does not work to prevent climate change, we will experience a recession comparable to that of the early twentieth century after the World War and the Great Economic Depression.”
Power generation using carbon may seem cheap now, but some analyzes say it is not. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is based on the leveled cost of energy (LCOE) in the United States as of 2022, considering not only simple costs such as construction, fuel, and operation costs, but also external costs such as environmental pollution, stability, and aftercare. Analysis) was calculated. According to this, power generation costs are in the order of wind power ($52.2), gas complex ($56.5), solar power ($66.8), nuclear power ($99.1), and coal ($140).
The Korean government has also declared carbon neutrality to make actual emissions ‘0’ by taking measures to absorb carbon dioxide emitted by 2050. Currently, Korea’s annual carbon emissions are about 700 million tons.
Specifically, we decided to discuss later how and how much to reduce carbon. However, it was decided to create a climate response fund for carbon neutrality in 2050. The fund will be used to support companies and workers such as coal power plants, petrochemical vehicles, etc., which are inevitably affected by reducing carbon emissions, and to expand low-carbon businesses.
Experts point out that considering the reality of Korea, it is necessary to reconsider the policy of post-nuclear power generation for carbon neutrality. One of the keys to realizing carbon neutrality is whether it is possible to stabilize electricity supply and demand while reducing coal power generation with high carbon emissions. However, it is difficult to completely replace coal power generation with new and renewable energy such as solar power in terms of the stability of power production and power generation cost. The National Climate Environment Conference, an organization under the direct control of the President, also expressed the view that “there is a government policy now, but it is difficult to talk about carbon neutrality in 2050 as it is fixed and unchanged.”
Reporter Kang Young-yeon [email protected]
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