‘Pre-nuclear public hearing’ on Christmas Eve… Repeated government position without debate

“The Electricity Business Act considers economic feasibility, but the 9th Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand prioritizes environmental performance and safety, and expands high-cost LNG (natural liquefied gas) and renewable energy to expand the law.” (Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction employees)

This is a question posed to the government by Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction employees at the 9th Public Hearing on the Basic Electric Power Supply and Demand Plan held on the 24th. On this day, the public hearing was held non-face-to-face due to concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). Related questions were also only received in advance in writing.

As the government confirmed the 9th supply and demand plan, the government decided to reduce the share of nuclear power and coal power generation and increase LNG and renewable energy by 2034, similar to the previous 8th plan. In particular, according to the’post-nuclear power plant roadmap’, Shinhanul Units 3 and 4, which had already purchased the construction site, were removed from the power supply source.

If the construction of Shinhanul Units 3 and 4 is canceled in the future, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, which has invested 4927 billion won in manufacturing main equipment, will inevitably suffer damage. For this reason, the question posed by Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction on this day can be seen as an expression of indirect dissatisfaction with the government’s policy of leaving nuclear power plants.

Dr. Jae-gyu Lim, a member of the Korea Energy Economics Institute, who participated as a hearing panel said, “The Minister of Industry should comprehensively consider the impact on the economy, environment and public safety of electric facilities when establishing the basic power supply and demand plan.” It was written after comprehensively reviewing the safety.”

Responding to the other question that “the construction of Shinhanul units 3 and 4 should be resumed,” Dr. Lim said, “For the purpose of the power supply and demand plan, power generation facilities that are uncertain about stable power supply were inevitably excluded from the supply volume.” Repeated. It is explained that the construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 could not be included in the government’s plan as it was not known when construction would resume. However, it did not mention the fact that it was due to the government’s’post-nuclear power policy’ that the construction of Shinhanul 3 and 4 was stopped.

Government officials and panelists who attended the public hearing on this day all expressed their sympathy in the fact that “the nuclear power plant is an eco-friendly development in terms of carbon emissions.” However, regarding the treatment and safety of spent nuclear fuel, he drew a line saying, “Nuclear power is not a sustainable alternative.”

However, Yun Yo-han, head of the power industry section of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stressed that there is no radical denuclearization, saying, “Nuclear power will be gradually reduced over a long period of more than 60 years.

There was also a question about the outlook for electricity demand. It is pointed out that “the 4th industrial revolution could increase future electricity demand, and in fact, the electricity demand forecast of the 8th plan over the past 3 years was wrong.” The idea is to avoid reducing existing power sources such as nuclear power plants as electricity demand may increase more than planned.

Professor Kim Chang-sik of Sungkyunkwan University, who participated as a panel, said, “Unlike the 8th, in the 9th plan, we improved the methodology (predicting electricity demand) in consideration of changes in climate and industrial structure. It is difficult to judge the power increase or decrease due to the 4th industry. It was not reflected in the plan.”

The government also avoided an immediate answer to concerns about an increase in electricity rates due to the expansion of new and renewable energy. “As there are factors that increase and decrease electricity rates, it is difficult to quantitatively analyze the factors. As stated in the 8th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, there is a 10.9% increase in the range by 2030. I won’t get away from it very much.”

The 9th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, discussed at this public hearing, contains specific directions for supply and demand by power generation by 2034. In particular, the main content is to reduce nuclear power plants, which will increase to 26 units in 2024, to 17 units by 2034, and to abolish 30 coal power plants that have reached 30 years. The plan is to replace the power shortage by increasing the amount of generation of LNG (41.3GW → 59.1GW) and renewable (20.1GW → 77.8GW).

Problems are the stable supply of electricity and the burden of raising electricity rates that occur during this process. Although all are sensitive issues, voices of criticism that the public hearing on this day was conducted without sufficient discussion on this part also emerged.

On this day, which was broadcasted live online amid the re-proliferation of Corona 19, only government officials and experts who made the 9th power supply and demand plan appeared in the form of explaining the existing plan. We received and answered inquiries in writing in advance, but the questions were mainly based on what the government decided. There was no separate disagreement.

Points have also been made on this process. The’Professor’s Council in pursuit of rationalization of energy policy’ issued a statement and said, “The planning of a public hearing that will become unrecognizable through the clutter of Christmas and the end of the year was ignoring the importance of public hearing. It is clear that there is something to do.”

Sejong = Reporter Kim Namjun [email protected]