With Korea joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) and officially declaring a coal power phaseout without concrete alternatives, the Czech Republic is drawing attention. That is because it has set a plan to completely stop coal power generation by 2033 while increasing the nuclear power capacity factor by 4 percentage points to 44%. Experts worry that an unconditional coal exit could lead to power shortages and even undermine the industrial base.
According to the energy industry on the 30th, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released the "Czech Republic 2025 report" on the 21st, calling the Czech Republic, which chose nuclear power over coal-fired power, "the most realistic and bold energy transition model in Europe."
About 36% of the Czech Republic's electricity generation currently comes from coal-fired power. As of January this year, the Czech Republic is operating 68 coal power plants. However, the Czech government has mapped out a plan to phase out coal-fired power and end it by 2033. That is because tighter climate-related regulations in the European Union (EU) and surging EU carbon allowance prices have made it difficult to operate coal power plants.
To replace coal-fired power, the Czech Republic decided to build new large nuclear plants and develop Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. The goal is to prevent potential power shortages because coal plant closures are outpacing the construction of renewable energy and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants.
The Czech Republic also granted authorities, after a series of reviews, the power to require coal power plant operators to temporarily extend plant operations. The aim is to prevent market disruptions that closures could cause. It also streamlined permitting procedures for LNG power projects that can replace coal-fired power to ensure stable electricity supply and demand.
Above all, the Czech Republic decided to prioritize supplying the power reduced by coal plant closures through nuclear power. Since the purpose of closing coal plants is to cut carbon emissions, the strategy is to raise the operation of nuclear power, a zero-carbon power source.
The Czech Republic currently operates two nuclear plants: the Dukovany plant, consisting of four 500-megawatt (MW) units, and the Temelín plant, consisting of two 1,082 MW units. The Dukovany plant was originally slated to close around 2037, but the Czech government announced it would extend the operating life of Dukovany Unit 4 to 2047 and is reviewing further extensions. Through this, it plans to raise the share of electricity supplied by nuclear power to 44% by 2030 and 68% by 2040. In addition, the Czech Republic decided to build the Dukovany II plant with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP).
◇ Coal accounts for 28.1% of total generation, closed by 2040… alternatives "not yet"
On the 17th (local time), the government announced its entry into the PPCA at the 30th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. The PPCA was launched at COP23 in Germany in Nov. 2017 with the goal of ending coal power generation.
The PPCA recommends that member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) completely phase out coal power by 2030 and other countries by 2040. The problem is that while Korea's share of coal-fired power is declining, it still accounts for more than 20% of total electricity generation.
As of last year, Korea's total power generation was 595.6 terawatt-hours (TWh), with coal providing 167.2 TWh, or 28.1% of the total, tying with liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the No. 2 source. The largest supplier was nuclear power (188.8 TWh, 31.7%), while renewable energy produced only 63.2 TWh (10.6%).
With the coal exit made official, the government must prepare exit plans for currently operating coal power plants. Korea has pledged to close 40 of the 61 units now in operation by 2040, later than the OECD's recommended timeline.
Under the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, the government will close 28 coal power units by 2036 and an additional 12 by 2038. Accordingly, Taean Unit 1 will close next month, and next year Hadong Unit 1, Boryeong Unit 5, and Taean Unit 2 are set to close.
The government also decided that, with PPCA membership, it will draw up by next year early closure plans for 21 relatively recently built coal power units. If the policy to close coal power plants by 2040 is implemented, some coal plants with a design life of around 30 years may not be able to use their full operating life.
For example, Samcheok Blue Power Unit 1 began operation last year, and Unit 2 this year. If these coal power plants shut in 2040, they would have been used for only 15 years. Given that construction funding in the trillion-won range was invested, a rapid shift in energy policy could spark controversy over budget waste.
Regarding this, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said, "For the 40 coal power units to be abolished by 2040, plans are in place to convert them to LNG or zero-carbon power sources, so there will be no power gap," adding, "For the remaining 21 units, when establishing the 12th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, we will draw up replacement plans with renewables and other zero-carbon power sources to prevent any power gap."
Kim Jin-su, a professor in the Department of Resources and Environmental Engineering at Hanyang University, said, "I agree that the climate crisis is serious, but if we chase coal phaseout and renewables unconditionally without a clear stance on expanding nuclear power, industries based on electricity could collapse."