Dangjin power station
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Dangjin power station (당진 발전소) is an operating power station of at least 6040-megawatts (MW) in Gyoro, Seokmun, Dangjin, South Chungcheong, South Korea. It is also known as 당진 발전소.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Dangjin power station | Gyoro, Seokmun, Dangjin, South Chungcheong, South Korea | 37.05513, 126.5122247 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 10, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9: 37.05513, 126.5122247
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | supercritical | 1999 | 2029 (planned) |
| Unit 10 | operating | coal: bituminous | 1020 | ultra-supercritical | 2016 | 2046 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | supercritical | 1999 | 2029 (planned) |
| Unit 3 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | supercritical | 2000 | 2030 (planned) |
| Unit 4 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | supercritical | 2001 | 2030 (planned) |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | ultra-supercritical | 2005 | 2035 (planned) |
| Unit 6 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | ultra-supercritical | 2006 | 2036 (planned) |
| Unit 7 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | ultra-supercritical | 2007 | 2037 (planned) |
| Unit 8 | operating | coal: bituminous | 500 | ultra-supercritical | 2007 | 2037 (planned) |
| Unit 9 | operating | coal: bituminous | 1020 | ultra-supercritical | 2016 | 2045 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 10 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 5 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 8 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 9 | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
Background
The Dangjin coal-fired power complex is comprised of eight units of 500 MW each and two units of 1,020 MW each, with a total capacity of 6,040 MW.[1]
Eight units were commissioned from 1999 to 2007.[2] Two new units, units 9 and 10, were added in July and September of 2016. Although designed at 1,020 MW, the units were operating at 930 and 993 respectively due to turbine problems.[3]
In April 2023, it was reported that Units 1 and 4 had been "suspended [...] to improve environmental facilities," although the news source did not state how long the suspension would last. [4]
At the end of 2023, the power station was recognized at the Asian Power Awards for a retrofit of Units 7 and 8.[5]
Conversions to gas
South Korea planned to shut a total of 15.3 GW of coal-fired capacity by 2034, according to a draft of the country's ninth basic electricity plan, of which 12.7 GW would be switched to run on imported gas. At Dangjin power station, Units 1 and 2 were to be converted in 2029, and Units 3 and 4 were to be converted in 2030.[6]
In June 2022, Korea East-West Power announced that they would be conducting environmental improvements to Units 1-4 to combat the aging infrastructure of these older units. They claimed that this work will reduce pollutant emissions by 25% by mid 2023.[7] The improvement project was stalled several times due to nonpayment of worker wages.[8]
In August 2022, reporting suggested that East-West Power planned to convert Units 5 and 6 to gas as well.[9]
Proposed ammonia co-firing
According to a May 2024 report by CREA and SFOC, Units 9 and 10 of the Dangjin power station were among 14 coal-fired units which had announced plans to co-fire ammonia in the future.[10]
Financing
Financing for units 9 and 10 was provided through bonds from the following entities: National Pension Service (US$374,844,730), NongHyup Life Insurance (US$82,284,131), Nonghyup Bank (US$45,713,406), Nonghyup Property and Casualty Insurance (US$27,428,044), NH Investment Securities (US$732,336,986), Korea Post (US$69,479,939), IBK Affiliates (US$27,426,596), and Industrial Bank of Korea (US$99,649,964).[11]
One of the largest coal plants in the world
In July and December 2016, the expansion raised the capacity of the plant from 4,000 MW to 6,040 MW, although turbine problems with Units 9 (operating at 930 MW due to turbine problems) and Unit 10 (operating at 993 MW due to turbine problems) reduced the plant's overall capacity to 5,923 MW (according to press reports)[3] or 5,860.2 MW (according to Korea East-West Power Company.)[12] The plant is the third largest in the world, behind Datang Tuoketuo power station in China and Taean power station in South Korea. (See Top ten largest coal plants in the world.)
Environmental & public health concerns
The community faces significant pollution from the power station. For example, on a windy day, coal dust issues plague community residents who can't hang their laundry outside or keep windows and doors open. Shin Wan-soon, secretary-general of the Dangjin City Development Committee and a resident of Gyorori, said, “If you plant cabbage in the fall, the leaves will get burnt to the extent that they cannot be eaten.” From 1991 to 2019, South Chungcheong Province produced 2.26 million GWh, or 22% of the country's total electricity, of which nearly 60% was transmitted to other regions. 484 transmission towers were built in Dangjin alone to send electricity to various places. Special support project funds allocated to the area around the power plant are reportedly used erratically and fail to support residents.[13]
In December 2022, a survey from the Chungnam Research Institute revealed that incidences of cancer in men were 16% higher within 2 kilometers of the Dangjin power station compared to the surrounding region of Chungcheongnam-do. Rates of osteoarthritis and abnormal electrocardiograms were also elevated. As a result, the Dangjin Environmental Movement Association was calling for the plant's closure.[14]
In April 2023, it was reported that the Dangjin power plant had ranked 2nd for power plant with the highest national greenhouse gas emissions, and 3rd for other "air pollutants," including sulfur oxides. [4]
Lobbying reports (2023)
In February 2023, it was reported that a meeting between power plant officials and municipal environmental monitoring employees had violated provisions of the "Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, also known as the Kim Young-ran Act," when the planned environmental surveillance meeting allegedly turned into a 1,240,000 won meal between the parties. [15]
Unpaid wages
In April 2023, the local construction labor union was demanding payment for unpaid wages for contract construction work on the "environment improvement facility."[16] According to the union, the workers had "never been properly paid on paydays since November of [2021]."[16]
Planned retirements and future plans
Planned Unit Retirements: Units 1 & 2 are scheduled to close by 2029; Units 3 & 4 by 2030; Unit 5 by 2035; Unit 6 by 2036; Units 7 & 8 by 2037; Unit 9 by 2045; Unit 10 by 2046.[17]
In March 2022, the Director of the Nuclear Policy Center at Seoul National University suggested that a nuclear power plant could be built on the site of the Dangjin power station following the retirement of the coal-fired units. The Dangjin Environmental Movement Federation condemned the idea and called it reckless.[18]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Dangjin coal-fired power complex, South Korea," Engineering News, accessed Jan 2014.
- ↑ "Dangjin power station," GEO, accessed Aug 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "온실가스 논란 속에 대용량 석탄시대 진입," 건설경제신문, November 22, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "당진화력, 전국 석탄화력 중 온실가스 2위..대기오염물질 3위," IDJnews.kr, April 20, 2023
- ↑ Exceptional projects lauded at Asian Power, Asian Water, and Asian Oil and Gas Awards 2023, Asian Power via Issuu.com, April 26, 2024
- ↑ "South Korea to convert half of existing coal fleet to gas," Argus, May 11, 2020
- ↑ "중단된 당진화력 1∼4호기 환경설비 개선 이달 내 재개," The Korea Economic Daily, June 22, 2022
- ↑ "[당진화력 환경개선 사업 공사 또다시 올스톱," Chungnam Ilbo, July 28, 2022
- ↑ "[단독 동서발전, 당진·동해 석탄발전 중단…LNG 전환 추진,"] The Guru, August 30, 2022
- ↑ Threat of Toxic Substances; Increased Particulate Matter and Health Hazards from Ammonia Co-firing, Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) and Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, May 2024
- ↑ "Financing Dirty Energy: How Korean Public Financial Institutions Support Coal Power". Solutions for Our Climate. January 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Dangin Coal-Fired Power Complex," Korea East-West Power Company website, accessed 3 January 2017
- ↑ "소각장·송전탑에 주민 신음…수도권 위해 희생되는 지방," October 19, 2021
- ↑ "당진화력 인근 남성 암 발생비, 충남 대비 16% 높아," Dangjin Newspaper, December 31, 2022
- ↑ "당진시 기후환경과·동서발전 당진화력·당진환경운동연합, 한우 식당 술자리 논란 '확산'," Media-i.kr, Feb. 28, 2023
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "당진발전본부는 임금체불 대책 즉각 마련하라," IDKnews.kr, April 14, 2023
- ↑ "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
- ↑ "SMR을 당진화력에?…당진시민들 발끈," Power Generation Industry News, March 21, 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.
