South Korea’s Dust Dilemma Forces Coal Plants Into Hibernation

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea plans to halt several coal-fired power plants this winter to try and clear toxic dust that forces residents to wear face masks and confines children indoors..South Korea will shut as many as 15 coal plants and run all others at 80% of capacity for three months from Dec. 1 as part of efforts to cut emissions by 44%, according to a Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy spokesperson. On weekends when outdoor activity is the highest, the government will force plants to reduce run rates even more. .This is the first time South Korea is restricting coal in winter after regularly shutting plants in the spring, which is typically the worst time of the year for dust. Air quality has worsened in recent years, and it’s common for Koreans to download apps warning them when smog and dust approach dangerous levels..Some new apartments come equipped with air purifiers and special enclosures before the front door to keep dust out. Indoor playgrounds are gaining popularity as children often can’t play outside..Even with the shutdowns, South Korea’s power grid will have ample spare capacity, the ministry said. The move may boost demand for liquefied natural gas by one or two cargoes a month, although given the supply abundance, it probably won’t have a major impact on prices, said Jeff Moore, a Singapore-based analyst at S&P Global Platts..To contact the reporters on this story: Heesu Lee in Seoul at hlee425@bloomberg.net;Dan Murtaugh in Singapore at dmurtaugh@bloomberg.net.To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ramsey Al-Rikabi at ralrikabi@bloomberg.net, Jasmine Ng, Rob Verdonck.©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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South Korea’s Dust Dilemma Forces Coal Plants Into Hibernation

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