Energy

Wag the Dog: The Hydrogen Scheme of South Korea

As long as hydrogen production relies heavily on fossil fuels, the policy will distract South Korea from its 2050 carbon neutrality strategy and end up emitting enormous additional greenhouse gases. To keep the net-zero pledge on track, South Korea should adopt a renewable-energy based hydrogen scheme by drastically cutting down its reliance on fossil fuels.

By Dongjae Oh

Energy Atlas Korean Edition (English version)

Atlas

South Korea is ranked 17th in the world for cumulative greenhouse gas emissions, most of which come from the energy sector. The country’s policies for energy transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear power began with the expansion of participatory renewable energy. However, the new government has taken a step backwards from previous policies that aspired to a sustainable and carbon-neutral society.

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Nuclear Power in East Asia – Trends and Debates

This dossier takes a number of snapshots into long-term trends in nuclear energy policy and the new debates around the issue since 2022 in different countries and territories in East Asia. Authors from the region discuss whether the announcements about expansion of nuclear power made in 2022-23 have substance and imply actual policy changes, perhaps even an about-turn in energy policy. They also ask what the policies towards nuclear power imply for the development of renewable energies and thus analyse the overall direction of the energy transition towards low-emission power in Asia.

A charged debate: Taiwan’s nuclear energy conundrum

Commentary

In less than five decades, nuclear power in Taiwan went from a much lauded energy source to a nuisance. After the Fukushima incident in 2011, growing concerns about safety led to a shifting of attitudes towards nuclear power. The current Taiwanese administration continues to pursue its policy to phase out nuclear power by 2025 but meets growing challenges. This article explores the history of Taiwan's nuclear power program, the factors that led to its decline, and the security challenges of phasing out nuclear power.

By Kwangyin Liu

An anti-nuclear demonstration held in Busan, South Korea

South Korea's 'unstable' nuclear energy policy: From Lee through Moon to Yoon Governments

Commentary

South Korea’s nuclear energy policies have undergone significant changes over recent years, showing an “unstable” character depending on respective governments in power. This article explains the political factors behind these policy changes and the arguments made for and against nuclear energy in Korea; it also explores the competitive relationship between nuclear energy and renewable energy. While nuclear energy is unlikely to be phased out any time soon, the challenge for South Korea remains to create a distributed energy systems that increases local self-sufficiency in electricity supply and introduces distributed renewable energy-friendly markets.

By Soo Jin Kim

A Call for Energy Justice in Southeast Asia

Article

Southeast Asia’s energy transition needs not only to be accelerated in terms of technology deployments but also to be processed and accomplished justly. Doing so requires hinging the region’s energy transition plans and activities to the distributive, recognition, procedural, and restorative tenets of justice.

By Laurence L. Delina

Green Hydrogen: Key success criteria for sustainable trade & production

Report

Based on national consultations in African and Latin American countries, this report examines benefits and risks for local communities and the envisaged exporting countries located in the Global South. It outlines international policy recommendations for how a human-rights based, equitable, just, and environmentally sound trade should work.

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Solar, wind and clean hydrogen: Asia’s energy transition without the hype

Article

Nearly every country has enough solar and wind to generate its required energy. Pumped hydro makes large-scale energy storage a solved problem. Australia is a global pathfinder in solar photovoltaics. Clean hydrogen, imported from Australia, is frequently touted as a major player in the decarbonization of East Asia’s industrialized countries such as Japan and South Korea. But some of the proposed export markets for hydrogen energy are largely illusory, argues Australian National University engineering professor Andrew Blakers.

By Andrew Blakers

Green hydrogen – hype or beacon of hope?

Report

In the coming years, the global energy system will have to undergo a profound structural change in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. (Green) hydrogen will play an important role in this. This publication provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the topic. It informs about trends in the production and use of hydrogen and the potential challenges.

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The Ukraine War: Perspectives and Reactions in Asia

Article

This article provides an overview of how Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine is being viewed and assessed in various regions and countries in Asia, and how the governments there are positioning themselves and reacting: in the Southeast Asian ASEAN countries, in Northeast Asia, and in India, China, and Myanmar.

By Shalini Yog Shah and Jost Pachaly

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