The government has created a dedicated environmental evaluation team within the Ministry of Environment to speed up the wind power project. Despite the policy to expand renewable energy, the spread of wind power has been in a position due to opposition from residents and controversy about environmental destruction. The plan is to expand the wind power business in a quick and eco-friendly way by strengthening prior consulting.
On the 22nd, the wind power environment evaluation team of the Ministry of Environment held a signboard ceremony at the Government Complex Sejong and began working in earnest. The wind power environment evaluation team consisted of one manager-level secretary, two secretaries, two main officials, and three dispatched personnel to the review organization.
The team aims to expand the wind power business rapidly and environmentally. In fact, it plans to reinforce preliminary consulting on environmental impact assessment, which serves as a gateway to development plans. The environmental impact assessment is a system in which the administrative agency that approves the development plan and project’s license and permission is required to determine the license through consultation with the Ministry of Environment. The Seoraksan five-saek cable car project, promoted by Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, was about to be stranded as the project was undetermined in this environmental impact assessment, but it was evaluated again after a recent administrative trial.
The wind power environment evaluation team is responsible for preemptively conducting a preemptive survey on the natural ecological status of the wind power project site and preparing a wind power generation evaluation guideline (guideline). Support for wind power generation companies to review in advance whether the projected site is environmentally appropriate for wind power generation business.
The reason why the Ministry of Environment has even created a wind turbine tutoring team dedicated to wind power is because the Moon Jae-in government is actively implementing a policy to expand renewable energy, but the supply of wind power has been sluggish. Currently, wind power accounts for over 10% of renewable energy.
This is because there are many cases in which the project suffers difficulties due to residents’ acceptance and ecological conservation even after obtaining permission for development. The project of the Gangneung Anin Wind Power Plant by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Korea Southern Power was postponed indefinitely after the Ministry of Environment decided to “consent” the environmental impact assessment in 2019.
Given the circumstances, the related industries are also not receiving strength. According to Korea Energy Agency’s new and renewable energy industry statistics, the number of wind power generation companies decreased from 26 in 2017 to 22 in 2018 and 18 in 2019. During the same period, the number of employees employed decreased to 1778, 1580 and 1545. Sales also went back to 7307 billion won, 695 billion won, and 649.6 billion won during this period.
The government is actively promoting the expansion of offshore wind power, which is relatively less restricted. President Moon Jae-in visited the Sinan Offshore Wind Power Complex on the 5th and promised, “Under the goal of becoming the 5th largest offshore wind power country by 2030, we will spare no effort.”
On the 26th, the environmental assessment team will hold a briefing session for offshore wind power operators at the LW Convention Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Considering the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), only participants who have been consulted in advance will be allowed to enter.
Reporter Eun-seo Koo [email protected]
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