The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has decided to supply district heating to a total of 4.46 million households by 2028. This is an increase of 680,000 units from before, representing 21.3% of all dwellings (20,913 units). The government plans to actively respond to climate change by promoting district heating, which has higher energy efficiency and excellent carbon reduction effects compared to individual heating.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy finalized the '6th Basic Plan for Group Energy Supply' to be implemented from 2024 to 2028 and announced it on the 27th. The group energy business involves supplying heat and electricity produced at combined heat and power plants to multiple users, with district cooling and heating being a representative example.
The goal of the 6th Basic Plan for Group Energy Supply is 'qualitative growth through the transition to clean heat sources.' In addition to supplying district heating to an additional 680,000 units by 2028, the ministry will increase the number of group energy business sites in industrial complexes by seven, expanding the total to 54. District cooling will be supplied to 4,920 locations, an increase of 1,773, with the cooling capacity expected to reach 2.74 million refrigeration tons (usRT).
Specifically, the ministry proposed detailed policy tasks such as ▲ enhancing the utilization of unused heat ▲ establishing a clean heat source roadmap ▲ introducing a clean heat energy certification system (RHC) ▲ advancing the national heat map ▲ establishing heat transaction guidelines. The ministry anticipates that this basic plan will lead to a reduction of 45 million tons of oil equivalent (TOE) in energy consumption and a decrease of 92 million tons of greenhouse gases.
In detail, the ministry has established local designation requirements to expand the utilization of unused heat in the 6th Basic Plan for Group Energy Supply. To enable even small amounts of heat energy to be used as a district heating source, the maximum heat load standard has been lowered from 30 Gcal/h to 15 Gcal/h. The group energy business in industrial complexes will prioritize heat supply, and unnecessary designation requirements will be eliminated. Additionally, for areas without application demand, regional designations will be canceled.
To expand the use of carbon-free heat sources, a roadmap for low-carbon technologies such as electric boilers, hydrogen, and SMT will also be prepared. The classification of clean heat sources will be clarified in the law to establish a foundation, and a new clean heat energy certification system will be introduced to promote investment and improve revenue structures.
The 'heat map' will also be advanced through heat networks and information on unused heat by region. The ministry will establish the legal basis for building the heat map while securing grounds for acquiring information on unused heat energy. The dedicated agency will be transferred from the Korea District Heating Corporation to the Korea Energy Agency to increase data collaboration.
The foundation for decarbonization of group energy in industrial complexes will also be established. First, the ministry will improve the biomass utilization system (energy sources obtained from nature). It will utilize unused wood energy, such as thinning wood in collaboration with the Korea Forest Service, and increase the use of circular resources, including sewage sludge and livestock manure, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.
Demonstration projects for power-to-heat (P2H) using surplus renewable energy will also be promoted. P2H involves utilizing solar energy from industrial complexes as an energy source for industrial heat pumps or large electric boilers to produce thermal energy, converting surplus power into thermal energy. The ministry is actively considering incentives such as introducing separate electricity rates for heat pumps, loan financing, and investment tax credits.