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Amid a deadly accident at the demolition site of the Ulsan Dongseo Power Plant’s coal-fired power station on the 6th, it has been disclosed that 28 coal-fired power units need to be closed by 2036. Given that numerous facilities have surpassed their 30-year operational life, the current administration’s plan to fully eliminate coal-fired electricity generation by 2040 is anticipated to speed up the demolition process.

As per the coal power phase-out strategy of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, which is grounded in the 10th and 11th Basic Plans for Electricity Supply and Demand, the government intends to decommission 28 out of the 61 active coal-fired power units by 2036. An additional 12 units are planned to be closed by 2038. Starting with the shutdown of Taean Coal-Fired Power Plant Unit 1 next month, three more units—Hadong Unit 1, Boryeong Unit 5, and Taean Unit 2—are set to be closed one after another in the following year.

Many plants have already stopped functioning and are waiting to be demolished. The Samcheonpo Units 1 and 2 of Korea South-East Power were permanently shut down in 2021, but the demolition process has been postponed because of safety issues arising from the continued operation of nearby Units 3 and 4. Likewise, the Boryeong Units 1 and 2 of Korea Midland Power, which were closed in 2020, have not yet been demolished as Units 3–6 next to them are still running. Korea Western Power also ceased operations at the Pyeongtaek Thermal Power Plant in January of this year.

The potential for early shutdowns of existing coal-fired power plants is also under consideration. Normally, coal-fired facilities are closed or transitioned to LNG after 30 years of operation, but the government’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions could result in earlier closures. The recent enhancement of the 2035 national greenhouse gas reduction target (NDC) to 50–60% or 53–60% of 2018 emission levels is anticipated to speed up this process. Although industry representatives previously stated that a 48% reduction was already difficult, the government has increased the minimum target to 50%. By 2040, 21 units will still be less than 30 years old.

With increasing demand for demolition, pressure within the energy sector is intensifying. A representative from an energy firm remarked, “Coal-fired boiler systems are big, intricate, and require dismantling structures that are 30–40 years old, presenting many challenges. Given the proposed laws that could remove heads of public institutions in the event of major incidents, it’s understandable that planning for demolition is done with care.”

After the tragic accident in Ulsan, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment suspended demolition activities at other coal-fired power stations on the 6th. This encompasses Honam Coal-Fired Units 1 and 2, which had started the demolition process in July of last year, and the Seocheon Coal-Fired Plant in South Chungcheong Province, which had finished blasting in May and was still dealing with leftover debris.