South Korea has scaled down its plans for nuclear power after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, an atomic energy advocate, gave the opposition party greater influence over the country’s long-term energy policy.
The Asian nation expects to add a total of 3.5 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2038, according to a government plan finalized Friday. That’s down from the 4.9 gigawatts proposed in a draft proposal in June. Power from renewables, including solar and wind, will rise slightly to 122 gigawatts, up from 120 gigawatts in the earlier version.
South Korea is scrapping plans for one of three large-scale reactors, each with 1.4 gigawatts of capacity, a move driven by the opposition Democratic Party’s push to rely more on renewable energy. The country still aims to build a 700-megawatt small modular reactor by 2036, while significantly reducing its use of coal and natural gas.
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