Renewable and Nuclear Energy

By Lee Jae-sung

According to the world energy outlook released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), primary energy consumption in 2030 is expected to increase by 55 percent, of which 74 percent will come from explosive demand from underdeveloped countries.

The consumption of electricity is also expected to increase, as will oil prices, albeit steadily. This outlook implies that every country is in desperate need of securing energy resources and development alternatives for national security and international competitiveness.

Observing Korea, things are getting even worse considering current trends and future prospects. It is well known that Korea is regarded as a country of energy poverty, with merely 3 percent self sufficiency.

Nonetheless, Korea mainly relies on coal consumption for areas such as the steel, chemical, and shipbuilding industries and ranked 10th in greenhouse gas emissions, which have an enormous impact on global climate change.

It is anticipated and agreed upon that a reduction in CO2 emissions might be more urgent than high oil prices. Thomas L. Priedman, a world famous columnist, claimed that we have to meet and develop energy technology (ET) as soon as possible.

In our hot, flat, and crowded world, ET is the only way to save the earth. The age of Code Green ― a new concept from Priedman about a green growth strategy ― is coming. No one dares to deny it.

In order for us to move forward, the Korean government has set out a master energy plan and launched an ambitious long-term program, having recently adopted ``low carbon, green growth" as a new paradigm for national prosperity. The program is regarded as a timely direction for Korea's future.

According to the plan, the government will increase the portion of electric power generated by nuclear means by up to 42 percent from the current 6 percent.

It will also seek to expand renewable energies such as solar and wind power by 11 percent. It is expected that the nation will achieve energy independence in 2050.

It is promised that a better future for mankind will arrive from the expanded use of nuclear power and the development of clean energy technology from sources such as solar energy and wind, which can abate a perilous energy crisis.

Energy conservation is, naturally, important to all of us. Wasting precious energy occurs everywhere when it should be saved, which allows us to save ourselves. The development of solar, wind and nuclear energy is crucial as it is the only assurance of our prosperity.

The writer is a deputy director at the Nuclear Engineering and Technology Institute (NETEC) in Daejeon. He can be reached at jaelee@khnp.co.kr

[출처 : 코리아타임스]