Global Electricity Review 2021 South Korea
Global Electricity Review 2021 South Korea
Global Electricity Review 2021 South Korea
Review 2021
G20 Profile
SOUTH KOREA
More of South Korea’s electricity was generated
from fossil fuels in 2020 than in 2015
March 2021
Authors Aditya Lolla and Euan Graham
About Ember’s This annual report analyses electricity data from every country in
Global Electricity the world to give the first accurate view of the global electricity
Review transition in 2020. It aggregates generation data by fuel by country
from 2000. 68 countries comprising 90% of world electricity
generation have full-year data to 2020 and have formed the
basis of an estimate for changes in worldwide generation. All
remaining countries have full data as far as 2019. G20 countries,
which comprise 84% of world electricity generation, each have a
separate in-depth country analysis. All the data can be viewed and
downloaded freely from Ember’s website.
www.ember-climate.org/global-electricity-review-2021
Disclaimer The information in this report is complete and correct to the best of
our knowledge, but if you spot an error, please email
info@ember-climate.org
Key findings 1
South Korea has one of the lowest combined wind and solar power share in the G20 5
South Korea has one of most coal-intensive electricity sectors among the G20 countries 7
South Korea’s per-capita electricity demand has risen even above Australia’s 8
South Korea’s coal generation is reducing much slower than many G20 countries 9
Concluding remarks 10
SOUTH KOREA
More of South Korea’s electricity was generated from
fossil fuels in 2020 than in 2015
South Korea’s electricity transition is lagging behind the rest of the world
“Despite its 2050 carbon neutrality announcement, S. Korea is falling woefully behind
the G20 on energy transition away from fossil fuels. The Korean government should
announce a coal phase-out year and cancel new coal and combined gas power plant
projects. To duly do its part under the Paris Agreement, Korea must phase out coal
power by 2029 and unabated combined gas power by 2050. Bold and diligent transition
to renewable energy is imperative.”
Gahee Han
Policy Analyst, Solutions for Our Climate
“South Korea needs to rapidly change its electricity mix to meet its 2050 net-zero
target. The country’s clean electricity transition remains in preliminary stages as wind
and solar made up only 3.8% of the country’s electricity in 2020, one of the lowest in
the G20. Unless it ramps up its wind and solar generations significantly, South Korea
will continue to face a gas risk that will make it challenging to decarbonize its power
sector quick enough to meet the net-zero target.”
Aditya Lolla
Senior Electricity Policy Analyst, Ember
Keyfindings
Key Findings
1 2 3
More of South Korea’s Slow wind and solar Coal power fell by 13%
electricity was growth means South year-on-year in 2020
generated from fossil Korea’s clean due to a fall in
fuels in 2020 than in electricity transition electricity demand and
2015 fell behind most G20 winter restrictions on
countries coal plants to curb air
pollution
Fossil generation rose slightly Wind and solar generated This 2020 fall in coal
by 1% from 350 TWh in 2015 3.8% of the country’s generation was covered by
to 353 TWh in 2020, supplying electricity in 2020, up from 1% nuclear generation increasing
66% of South Korea’s in 2015, driven by an increase by 10%, and oil and gas
electricity in 2020. A rise in in solar generation. This is well generation rising by 4%.
solar generation in the last five below the global average, Between 2015 and 2020,
years was only enough to which was a tenth of electricity however, coal generation fell
meet the small increase in (9.4%) in 2020. Share of wind by only 10%, putting South
electricity demand. Share of and solar power in other Asian Korea far behind other G20
coal generation fell from 41% G20 countries was closer to countries such as the UK
to 36% which resulted in gas the global average: Japan (-93%), the EU-27 (-48%) and
generation rising from 22% to (10%), China (9.5%) and India even Japan (-15%), who
27%. Overall, generation from (8.9%). reduced their coal generation
all the other non-fossil sources much faster.
combined was unchanged.
Wind Solar
World average
World average 4% 9%
5% 1%
2015 2020
Coal market share falls, in part from Fossil generation higher than five
wind and solar, but also a rise in gas years ago
+42%
Hydro + Bioenergy + Wind + Solar
Other Renewables +295%
4% Wind + Solar
Coal
-10%
Gas + Oil
Total +18%
Fossil
Fuels 2015 2020
66%
Change since 2015… Total
Electricit
Producti
Total +3 T
Electricity +17 TW
+15 TWh Production +15
30% Gas + Oil
26% +17 TWh
+25 TWh +25
-4 T
2015 2020 2015 2020
Coal generation fell in 2020 as South replace about half the fall in coal power in
Korea’s electricity demand declined and 2020, which saw an increase of 10% (+14
nuclear generation increased. The country’s TWh). Meanwhile, the country’s combined
coal generation fell by 13% (-29TWh) in the gas and oil generation rose by 4% (+6 TWh),
last year, its biggest ever year-on-year fall making up for about one-fifth of the 2020
since at least 2000. This is mainly due to a coal generation fall. However, combined
weaker power demand caused by Covid-19 wind and solar generation grew only by
measures and the government’s winter 5 TWh last year as new capacity came
month restrictions on use of coal plants online. This helped reduce South Korea’s
to curb air pollution. Electricity demand bioenergy generation by 8 TWh, but led to
fell by 2% (-10 TWh) year-on-year, marking the country’s total renewable generation
a decline for a second consecutive year. falling marginally (-1 TWh) in 2020.
South Korea relied on nuclear power to
South Korea has one of the lowest combined wind and solar power share in the G20
South Korea generated 3.8% of its solar from 3.8% (22 TWh) to 10.6% (64
electricity from wind and solar in 2020 (21 TWh) in the same time period. Slow growth
TWh), the fourth lowest among the G20 in South Korea’s wind and solar generation
countries. While this increased from 1% means that their share in the country’s mix
(5 TWh) in 2015, growth has been slow is now less than half the world average
compared to most other G20 countries (9.4%), even lagging behind other Asian
who are quickly transitioning their power G20 countries like Japan (10%), China
systems to wind and solar. Brazil, for (9.5%) and India (8.9%).
example, increased its combined wind and
Relatively small growth in wind and solar less compared to other G20 countries like
power between 2015 and 2020 stifled the UK, Germany and the US where coal’s
the potential reduction of fossil fuel’s electricity market share reduced by more
electricity market share in South Korea. than 10%. Moreover, coal’s fall in market
Wind and solar captured only 3% of the share in South Korea was offset by oil and
market share during this period; fifteen gas (driven mainly by gas) taking 4% of the
other G20 countries did better on this market share.
metric. While coal did lose 5% of its market
share between 2015 and 2020, it is notably
South Korea had the sixth-most coal- increased since 2015, its total fossil fuel
intensive electricity sectors among the share of generation (66%) is also higher
G20 countries in 2020, generating 36% of than the global average (61%) and much
the country’s electricity from coal. This higher than in G20 countries like France
is higher than the global average of 34% (10%), Brazil (14%) and Canada (17%), who
and puts South Korea behind most G20 relied on fossil fuels to generate less than
countries, including Japan (29%) and the 20% of their electricity.
US (19%). As South Korea’s gas generation
Korea’s per-capita electricity demand increased by 11%, from 9.5 MWh in 2010 to 10.5
MWh in 2020. With this, it overtook Australia (9.9 MWh in 2020) to become the country
with the highest electricity demand, on a per-capita basis, of any G20 country in the Asia-
Pacific region. This is more than three times the global average of 3.3 MWh seen in 2020
and is only behind Canada (15.4 MWh) and the USA (12.4 MWh) in the G20.
Although South Korea’s coal generation in 2020 was 10% less than in 2015, many other
G20 countries phased out coal much faster, including the UK (-93%), the EU-27 (-48%)
and the US (-43%). The country’s inability to quickly reduce its reliance on coal meant that
South Korea even lagged behind Japan which reduced its coal generation by 15% between
2015 and 2020.
South Korea’s pledge to achieve net-zero by 7.3 GW under construction. With reports
2050 is a welcome development. However, suggesting that South Korea must phase
there is a long way to go for the country out all its coal power plants by 2029 to
to achieve a transition to clean power. It meet its Paris Agreement obligations, the
had one of the lowest growths in wind country would do well to adapt its national
and solar between 2015 and 2020 among power plan to be consistent with its own
the G20 countries, which its total fossil net-zero ambitions. The target to achieve
generation did not reduce in the last five carbon neutrality by 2050 also faces a
years. Coal remains a significant challenge massive gas risk if South Korea continues
for South Korea as it still produces 36% of to use gas as a transition fuel. Instead, by
its electricity. Despite announcing plans placing a moratorium on new coal plants
to phase out coal, the government hasn’t and replacing coal generation with new
yet set a date to end coal power. Further, wind and solar power, South Korea can
data from Global Energy Monitor shows position itself well to achieve its net-zero
that 34.5 GW of grid-connected coal plants target.
are currently operational with a further