Yeongheung power station
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Yeongheung power station (영흥 발전소) is an operating power station of at least 5080-megawatts (MW) in Oe-ri, Yeongheung, Ongjin, Incheon, South Korea with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Yonghungdo power station, 영흥 발전소.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Yeongheung power station | Oe-ri, Yeongheung, Ongjin, Incheon, South Korea | 37.2369399, 126.4360929 (exact)[1] |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- 1, 2, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8: 37.2369399, 126.4360929
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4: 37.236543, 126.437797
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Announced[2] | fossil gas: LNG[2] | 800[2] | unknown | not found | 2034 (planned)[2] | – |
| 2 | Announced[2] | fossil gas: LNG[2] | 800[2] | unknown | not found | 2034 (planned)[2] | – |
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: bituminous | 800 | supercritical | – | 2004 | 2034 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: bituminous | 800 | supercritical | – | 2004 | 2034 (planned) |
| Unit 3 | Operating | coal: bituminous | 870 | ultra-supercritical | – | 2009 | 2038 (planned) |
| Unit 4 | Operating | coal: bituminous | 870 | ultra-supercritical | – | 2009 | 2038 (planned) |
| Unit 5 | Operating | coal: bituminous | 870 | supercritical | – | 2014 | 2044 (planned) |
| Unit 6 | Operating | coal: bituminous | 870 | supercritical | – | 2014 | 2044 (planned) |
| Unit 7 | Cancelled | coal: bituminous | 870 | supercritical | – | – | – |
| Unit 8 | Cancelled | coal: bituminous | 870 | supercritical | – | – | – |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| 2 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 1 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 5 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 8 | Korea South-East Power Co Ltd [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
Background
The plant is one of the top ten largest coal plants in the world. The original Yeongheung Power Station consisted of four coal units. The 800-MW Units 1 and 2 began commercial operation in 2004. The 870 MW Units 3 and 4 entered commercial operation in 2009.[3]
In 2024, reporting announced that planned facility improvement projects had been delayed due to elevated prices of nuclear ash related to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.[4]
Description of Expansion: Units 5 and 6
Korea Southeast Power (KOSEP) planned to expand the power station by two units (units 5 and 6) of 870 MW each.[5][6] The new units entered operation in June and November 2014, respectively.[7]
In January 2023, it was reported that Units 5 and 6 would require carbon capture technology in the years approaching their planned retirement in 2044. [8]
Description of Expansion: Units 7 and 8
According to the 6th Basic Power Development Plan, units 7 and 8, each 870 MW, were planned for completion in June and December 2018.[9][10] The expansion plan was cancelled in June 2015, with two nuclear plants planned instead.[11]
Conversion to gas
South Korea plans to shut a total of 15.3GW of coal-fired capacity by 2034, according to a draft of the country's ninth basic electricity plan, of which 12.7GW will be switched to run on imported gas.[12]
The following power stations have plans to convert from coal to gas:[12]
- Dangjin power station Units 1 and 2 in 2029 (2 * 500 MW)
- Dangjin power station Units 3 and 4 in 2030 (2 * 500 MW)
- Samchonpo power station Unit 5 in 2027 (500 MW)
- Samchonpo power station Unit 6 in 2028 (500 MW)
- Yeongheung power station Units 1 and 2 in 2034 (2 * 800 MW)
Reporting in March 2024 indicated that Korea South-East Power also had plans to convert Units 3 and 4 to LNG, hydrogen, or ammonia, but information was limited at the time of reporting.[13]
Proposed ammonia co-firing
In March 2023, it was reported that Units 3-6 were being considered for ammonia co-firing in an effort to "reduce carbon," and that Units 1-2 were planned for "complete hydrogen power generation in 2034." [14]
A KEPCO update in April 2024 indicated that the company was planning a preliminary feasibility survey for the implementation of ammonia co-firing at Units 5 and 6 of the Yeongheung power station.[15]
Opposition
Environmental groups have pushed for the accelerated retirement of the coal units,[16] and against the conversions to gas.[17] In Fall 2021, the city of Incheon requested presidential candidates campaign on a promise to advance the closing date of coal units 1 and 2 from 2034 to 2030 in the next Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand.[18]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220527034106/https://www.iere.jp/membersinformation/brochure/brochure_KOEN.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20231118083456/https://www.kier.re.kr/resources/download/tpp/policy_230113_data.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2023.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Yeongheung Power Station Unit 3, Yeongheung Island, South Korea," PowerMag, October 1, 2012
- ↑ 영흥화력발전소, 저탄장 실내화·환경개선사업 잇달아 지연, Gyeong-In Broadcasting, July 29, 2024
- ↑ "South Korea Saves More than 30 Million RMB by Using China Guodian Corporation’s Plasma Ignition Technology," China Guodian press release, December 20, 2013
- ↑ "Doosan Signs a Contract to Supply Boilers for the Yeongheung Thermal Power Plants 5 & 6," Doosan press release, December 29, 2010
- ↑ "Yeongheung Thermal Power site Division," KOSEP website, accessed February 2015
- ↑ "기고 영흥화력발전 조기폐쇄 논란 탄소포집기술에 주목해야 Dnews.co.kr, Jan. 25, 2023
- ↑ "KEPCO Company Analysis," Hyundai Research, February 4, 2013
- ↑ "The 6th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, (2013~2027)," Ministry of Knowledge Economy, February 2013
- ↑ "South Korea axes four coal plants, plans two new nuclear units," Reuters, June 8, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "South Korea to convert half of existing coal fleet to gas," Argus, May 11, 2020
- ↑ (등촌광장) 무탄소 시대…부상하는 양수발전, Electimes, March 26, 2024
- ↑ "(특별기고) 수소에너지 발전소 디딤돌을 놓자," ElecTimes, March 14, 2023
- ↑ Hydrogen and ammonia co-firing, KEPCO, April 2024, Accessed: May 28, 2024
- ↑ “한국남동발전 영흥화력발전소, 조기 폐쇄 가능할까,” kgnews, September 1, 2021
- ↑ “환경단체, 영흥발전소 석탄 1·2호기 LNG 전환 반대,” Incheon News, December 1, 2021
- ↑ “정부 탄소중립 기조에 시민단체 조기폐쇄 주장까지... 난감한 영흥화력,” joongboo, October 20, 2021
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
