IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - November/December 2014 - 70

Hydro
2002: 302,033 GWh 1.8%

Steam
46%
Nuclear
39.4%

Hydro
1.5%

Combined
Cycle
Internal
Combustion 12.7%
0.1%

Steam
46.9%

Nuclear
29.6%
Combined
Cycle
21.8%
Internal
Combustion
0.1%

2012: 507,480 GWh

500,000
450,000
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0

Nuclear
Heavy Oil

Hydro
Coal

Diesel
LNG

1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011

(GWh)

figure 16. South Korea's electrical generation energy
production mix in 2002 and 2012.

figure 17. South Korea's electric energy configuration by
energy source, 1981-2011.

2002: 306,474 GWh

Hydro
1.7%

Diesel
0.4%
Heavy Oil
7.8%

LNG
12.7%

Nuclear
38.9%

Coal
38.5%

Hydro
1.6%

Diesel
0.1%
Heavy Oil
3%

Nuclear
LNG 30.9%
23.5%
Coal
40.9%

2012: 485,993 GWh

of total electric power production increased from 12.7% to
21.8% over the same ten-year period. During this period the
share of nuclear-sourced energy in total energy production
decreased from 39.4% in 2002 to 29.6% in 2012. Figure 18
suggests that base-load nuclear energy in 2002 was partly
replaced by coal and LNG electric energy production
in 2012.
Electrical Energy Demand

Figure 19 shows the electricity consumption (electrical
energy) and final energy consumption-that is, the coal, oil,
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), LNG, and so on consumed
by end users, excluding electricity consumption-for the last
ten years in South Korea. The annual average growth rate
of electrical energy was approximately 5.6% from 2002 to
2011, which exceeded the final energy growth rate of 2.7%.
Despite the global recession, which caused final energy
consumption to drop by 0.3%, electricity consumption still
increased by 2.4% in 2009.
Figure 20 shows the yearly summer and winter peak
demand in South Korea. Although the annual peak demand
occurred during the summer through 2008, it shifted to
the winter season beginning in 2009. The shift occurred
because the price for electrical energy, a secondary energy
source, became less expensive for winter heating than the
price of primary energies, including oil, LNG, and coal. In
economic theory, this condition is identified as a distortion
price system by price expert analysts and designers. The
addition of new LNG fueled electrical power plants is therefore expected to depend on how well the distortion price system is corrected in the future.
Supply Power Reserve Rate

The supply power reserve (SPR) rate over the last 22 years
is shown in Figure 21. The SPR rate in South Korea has
recently been insufficient and has caused difficulties in frequency control as well as stability problems in the power
system. Furthermore, the available rights-of-way for transmission lines are too narrow and socially difficult to permit new line construction. Social obstacles exist as well:
the proposed construction of a 765-kV line from the New
Gori nuclear power plant to the North Gyungnam substation
aroused protests that included the suicide of a 69-year-old
man on 16 January 2012. The installation of small, dispersed
LNG power plants and an undersea high-voltage direct current (HVdc) line from the northwest (Incheon) to the northeast (Sokcho) has been suggested as an alternative, although
such ideas are far from being implemented at present. The
undersea HVdc plan in particular has emerged as a promising innovative idea for solving the challenging problems
related to transmission line siting and construction.
Electricity Price

figure 18. South Korea's electric power energy mix by
energy source in 2002 and 2012.
70

ieee power & energy magazine

The price of electricity in South Korea during the period 1981-
2011 is presented in Figure 22. The country does not use a
november/december 2014

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