Seoul launches energy policy body

The Seoul Metropolitan Government now has a separate body responsible for the city’s energy policies.

The Seoul Energy Corporation (SEC) had its opening ceremony at Seoul City Hall, Thursday.

The capital with around 10 million residents has a complex energy supply system and has seen growing calls to find renewable energy sources. This move is to respond to those calls.

“We will work to make Seoul’s energy more renewable and independent,” said Park Jin-sub, the SEC’s CEO.

Seoul uses tremendous amounts of energy each year — 46,493 gigawatt hours of electric energy last year — and a big amount comes from fossil fuels.

Park unveiled the plan to boost renewable energy generation. “By 2020, we are projecting to install solar panels across the city with the capacity mounting to produce 70 megawatts (MW),” he said. The corporation will also generate 90 MW of power with fuel cells.

The energy firm said it will also encourage reducing energy consumption. “Energy policy should go hand in hand with reducing consumption,” Park said.

The SEC will promote the use of electric vehicles and set up a pilot charging station powered by the sun later this year.

For newly built residential areas in the southwest, the city will build a new power plant generating electricity from hot water. “One plant in Magok, southwestern Seoul, will serve up to 75,000 new homes when it’s ready in 2020,” Park said.

The SEC had Mayor Park Won-soon’s support in its making. From early on in his post, the mayor stressed renewable power and energy conservation.