Bukpyung power station
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Bukpyung power station (북평화력) is an operating power station of at least 1190-megawatts (MW) in Donghae, Gangwon, South Korea. It is also known as 북평화력, Buk-Pyeong power station; GS Donghae power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Bukpyung power station | Donghae, Gangwon, South Korea | 37.480546, 129.143343 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 37.480546, 129.143343
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: anthracite | 595 | supercritical | 2017 | 2047 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: anthracite | 595 | supercritical | 2017 | 2047 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd; ST International Corp | Korea Electric Power Corp; Samchully Co Ltd |
| Unit 2 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd; ST International Corp | Korea Electric Power Corp; Samchully Co Ltd |
Background
The project is a joint venture between STX Electric Power, a subsidiary of STX Energy (which is a subsidiary of STX Group), and Korea East-West Power. STX Energy, which owns 51 percent of the project, is in charge of building and managing the plant while Korea East·West Power will be in charge of operations and maintenance. The project is slated for completion in 2016.[1]
The project is one of the first coal plants in Korea to be built by an independent power, or merchant power, company.[2] STX Energy was acquired by GS E&R in 2014.[3]
Construction was stalled in 2016 due to financial difficulties facing construction contractor STX Heavy Industries, with commissioning postponed to 2017. At the time unit 1 was under test operation.[4][5]
Construction resumed in late 2016.[5] Unit 1 began commercial operation in March 2017.[6] Unit 2 was commissioned in August 2017.[7]
Units 1 and 2 are scheduled to close by 2047.[8]
Transmission line constraints in 2024
From mid- to late 2024, the power station was reportedly forced to temporarily halt operations due to transmission line constraints.[9][10]
Opposition
In 2021, GS Donghae Electric Power was accused of failing to complete the construction of the Bukpyeong 2nd General Industrial Complex to go with the coal plant and as promised to the local community. In addition, civic groups criticized the private company's requests to preserve investment costs for the environmentally damaging coal plant. The power plant’s establishment worsened dust pollution and other issues already present at the Donghae Port.[11]
Financing
In 2013, a financing agreement for the plant was closed.[12]
The power station received a total of at least KRW 1.6 trillion in debt financing (approximately US$1.4 billion), including:
- South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) provided KRW 82 billion (US$74 million)[13]
- Nonghyup Life, a subsidiary of Nonghyup Financial Holdings, provided KRW 131 billion (US$118 million)[13]
- Industrial Bank of Korea provided KRW 82 billion (US$74 million)[13]
- the Korean Development Bank (KDB) provided KRW 85 billion (US$219 million)[14]
- Woori Bank provided KRW 77 billion (US$70 million)[14]
- Hana Bank provided KRW 79 billion (US$71 million)[14]
- Busan Bank provided KRW 30 billion (US$27 million)[14]
- Samsung Life Insurance provided KRW 210 billion (US$189 million)[14]
- Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance provided 140 billion (US$126 million)[14]
- Kyobo Life Insurance provided KRW 80 billion (US$72 million)[14]
- Hanwha Life Insurance provided KRW 70 billion (US$63 million)[14]
- Shinhan Life provided KRW 10 billion (US$9 million)[14]
- Heungkuk Life Insurance provided KRW 99.7 billion (US$89.7 million)[14]
- Korean Development Bank Life Insurance provided KRW 158 billion (US$142 million)[14]
- Lotte Insurance provided KRW 79.1 billion (US$71 million)[14]
- DB Insurance provided KRW 97.8 billion (US$88 million)[14]
- Heungkuk Fire & Marine Insurance provided KRW 28.9 billion (US$26 million)[14]
- The Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives provided KRW 82 billion (US$74 million)[14]
The project cost 24% more than originally budgeted.[15]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "STX Electric Power Holding Groundbreaking Ceremony for Bukpyung Thermal Plant," STK press release, December 26, 2012
- ↑ "Hosts of Foreigners Enters New Merchant Power Plant Projects," Korea IT Times, June 25, 2013
- ↑ "GS Reshapes Energy Business through Acquisition of STX Energy," Business Korea, February 17, 2014
- ↑ "삐걱이는 민자발전, 화력건설 곳곳서 파열음," EKN, September 22, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "GS동해전력 '북평화력발전소' 건설 재개 오리무중," EKN, November 10, 2016
- ↑ "북평화력발전소 1호기 상업운전 시작," Kado, March 29, 2017
- ↑ "GS, GS칼텍스와 발전자회사 호조로 3분기 실적 증가," Business Post, August 14, 2017
- ↑ Assessing the Health Benefits of a Paris-Aligned Coal Phase Out for South Korea, Annex II (Unit-level phase out schedules), Climate Analytics, May 2021
- ↑ 신규 발전소 개점휴업 빚은 동해안 송전 대란, 인근 LNG 발전도 덮쳤다, Electimes, May 23, 2024
- ↑ [전기가 미래다 ④ “우리 동네엔 안돼”… 전국서 전력망 차질, Chosun Biz, September 6, 2024
- ↑ “GS동해전력, 사회적책임 외면한 채 보상만 요구…집단소송 등 소비자 반발 부딪혀,” NToday, June 8, 2020
- ↑ "GS Donghae Electric Power," GS Homepage, accessed November 2021
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Financing Dirty Energy, Solutions for Our Climate, January 2018
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 Tracing 12 Years of Korea’s Coal Finance Addiction, Korea Sustainability Investing Forum, January 2021
- ↑ “민간화력발전소의 ‘2조원’ ‘4200억’ 건설비 증가···국민 전기료로 보전?,” 쿤 g향 g 신문, October 11, 2022
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
