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S. Korea considers increasing atomic power output to check global warming
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is considering increasing its atomic power production to check global warming caused by burning fossil fuels, the government said on Tuesday.
In a meeting of officials from the Environment Ministry, the Office of Government Policy Coordination and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, the government said atomic power is a "clean" and effective way to cope with pressures to cut back on greenhouse gases.
South Korea is currently not obligated to cut back on greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol, but may have to do so in the coming years.
The country was the ninth-largest producer of carbon dioxide in the world in 2004. In that year, the country released 465 million tons of the greenhouse gas, an increase of 93 percent compared to 1990 and equivalent to 9.7 tons for each South Korean.
Carbon dioxide accounts for about 60 percent of all greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, with methane making up 20 percent. Other gases like nitrous oxide, hydroflurocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride account for the remaining 20 percent.
Policymakers said more effort should be diverted to develop indigenous atomic technology and design more advanced reactors that are cheaper and produce less radioactive waste.
Since 1977, the country has generated electric power with 20 commercial reactors, with four others under construction and four planned for the future. Atomic power currently meets 40 percent of the country's electricity needs.
The government, in addition, said it will push to increase the proportion of new, reusable energy from 2.3 percent of the total power produced in 2006 to 9 percent in 2030.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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