Abstract
Reliable energy-related data from NK are needed in order to understand the status and management of air quality in NK. However, data from the North Korean government are limited. Nevertheless, in order to understand the electricity supply and operating statuses of coal-fired power plants in NK, we used the facility-specific data presented in the Project Design Documents of the registered Clean Development Mechanism projects hosted by NK to calculate several indicators that reflect the operating status of coal-fired power plants. The average daily operating time was short, between 4 and 20 h; the power generation efficiency was low, at about 23%; and the emission performance value of carbon dioxide was poor, at about 1500 gCO2/kWh. We also found that the electricity outputs presented in other studies were substantially lower than those reported for the coal-fired power plants in the second National Communication on Climate Change. The best way to provide financial and technical support to NK might be through international programs, such as a new technology transfer mechanism controlled by the Climate Technology Centre and Network in post-2020 climate regime.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amann M, Bertok I, Borken-Kleefeld J, Cofala J, Heyes C, Höglund-Isaksson L, Klimont Z, Nguyen B, Posch M, Rafaj P, Sander R, Schöpp W, Wagner F, Winiwarter W (2011) Cost-effective control of air quality and greenhouse gases in Europe: modeling and policy applications. Environ Model Softw 26:1489–1501
Carbonbrief (2018) Mapped: the world’s coal power plants. https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-worlds-coal-power-plants. Accessed June 25, 2018
CEC (California Energy Commission) (2017) SB 1368 Emission Performance Standards. http://www.energy.ca.gov/emission_standards/. Accessed August 22, 2017
EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) (2017) Korea, North—overview. https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.cfm?iso=PRK. Accessed August 01, 2017
Endcoal (2018) Global coal plant tracker (GCPT). https://endcoal.org/global-coal-plant-tracker. Accessed June 25, 2018
Han SU (2014) Latest trends in North Korea’s environmental law and implications. Environ Law Rev 36(3):237–271 (in Korean with English abstract)
HRI (Hyundai Research Institute) (2015) The potential of cooperation between two Koreas on renewable CDM projects. VIP report No 636, pp 15–39 (in Korean)
IEA (International Energy Agency) (2010) Power generation from coal measuring and reporting efficiency performance and CO2 emissions. IEA (International Energy Agency), Paris
IEA (International Energy Agency) (2011) CO2 emissions from fuel combustion highlights, 2009 edition. IEA (International Energy Agency), Paris
IEA (International Energy Agency) (2017) Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of: electricity and heat for 1990~2014. http://www.iea.org/statistics/statisticssearch/report/?country=KOREADPR&product=electricityandheat. Accessed April 17, 2017
IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) (2017) GAINS Online—East Asia. http://gains.iiasa.ac.at/gains/activities.EAN/index.menu. Accessed August 21, 2017
KDB (Korea Development Bank) (2015) The North Korea’s industry. Seoul (in Korean)
KEEI (Korea Energy Economic Institute) (2009) Study on the cooperation method between South and North Korea and the potentials of CDM projects in North Korea. Gyeonggi (in Korean with English abstract)
KEEI (Korea Energy Economic Institute) (2013) Status and outlook of the CDM project in energy sector of North Korea. World energy market insight weekly. Gyeonggi (in Korean)
KEEI (Korea Energy Economics Institute) (2015) Energy statistics of North Korea. Ulsan (in Korean)
KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation) (2008) 2007 Statistics of electric power in Korea. Seoul (in Korean)
KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation) (2009) 2008 Statistics of electric power in Korea. Seoul (in Korean)
KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation) (2010) 2009 Statistics of electric power in Korea. Seoul (in Korean)
KIER (Korea Institute of Energy Research) (2014) Analysis of energy resources in North Korea and direction of technology cooperation. Daejeon (in Korean)
KIET (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade) (2017) Status and implications of renewable energy in North Korea. Sejong
Kim IS, Lee JY, Kim YP (2013) Impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions from North Korea to the air quality in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea. Atmos Environ 70:159–165
Kim NK, Kim YP, Morino Y, Kurokawa JI, Ohara T (2014) Verification of NOx emission inventory over North Korea. Environ Pollut 195:236–244
Klimont Z, Kupiainen K, Heyes C, Purohit P, Cofala J, Rafaj P, Borken-Kleefeld J, Schöpp W (2017) Global anthropogenic emissions of particulate matter including black carbon. Atmos Chem Phys 17:8681–8723
KOSTAT (Statistics Korea) (2017) Electricity generation of South Korea and North Korea. http://kosis.kr/bukhan/statisticsList/statisticsList_01List.jsp?parentId=101_101BUKHANB01.1;101_101BUKHANB01_AA19.2;101_101BUKHANB01_AA19.3#SubCon. Accessed April 17, 2017 (in Korean)
KSPI (Korea Statistics Promotion Institute) (2013) Support and cooperation for the statistic of North Korea. Seoul (in Korean)
Law publisher (2016) Laws of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (additional edition). Law publisher, Pyongyang, pp 128–134
Lee HJ, Lee YH (2016) Status of the clean development mechanism (CDM) project of North Korea. Hyundai Research Institute, The reunified Korean economy 2016(1):74–87 (in Korean)
MLEP (Ministry of Land and Environment Protection) (2000) DPRK’s first national communication under the framework convention on climate change. Pyongyang
MLEP (Ministry of Land and Environment Protection) (2012) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea environment and climate change outlook. Pyongyang
MOU (Ministry of Unification) (2017a) North Korea information portal—electricity. http://nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr/nkp/overview/nkOverview.do?sumryMenuId=EC211. Accessed August 01, 2017 (in Korean)
MOU (Ministry of Unification) (2017b) North Korea information portal—map. http://nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr/NKMap/main/viewMain.do. Accessed August 01, 2017 (in Korean)
Nautilus Institute (2012) Foundations of energy security for the DPRK: 1990–2009 energy balances, engagement options, and future paths for energy and economic redevelopment. CA, USA
NCCE (National Coordinating Committee for Environment) (2012) DPR Korea’s second national communication on climate change. Pyongyang
NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research), NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) (2017) KORUS-AQ rapid science synthesis report. Seoul
Ohara T, Akimoto H, Kurokawa J, Horii N, Yamaji K, Yan X, Hayasaka T (2007) An Asian emission inventory of anthropogenic emission sources for the period 1980-2020. Atmos Chem Phys 7:4419–4444
Platts (2018) World electric power plants database. https://www.platts.com/products/world-electric-power-plants-database. Accessed June 25, 2018
Reuters (2017) North Korean nuclear test prompts global condemnation. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-reaction/north-korean-nuclear-test-prompts-global-condemnation-idUSKCN1BE0L4. Accessed June 25, 2018
The DMZ Forum (2015) International environmental cooperation of the democratic people’s republic of Korea: report prepared for the DMZ forum. USA
The Korea Herald (2018) Experts divided on US-NK agreement. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180613000170. Accessed June 26, 2018
TIME (2018) President Trump and Kim Jong un just agreed to work toward denuclearization. http://time.com/5309425/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-summit-document-full-text. Accessed June 26, 2018
Tong D, Zhang Q, Davis SJ, Liu F, Zheng B, Geng GN, Xue T, Li M, Hong CP, Lu Z, Streets DG, Guan DB, He KB (2018) Targeted emission reductions from global super-polluting power plant units. Nat Sustain 1:59–68
UN (United Nations) (2017) International Trade Statistics—mirrors statistics. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/tradekb/Knowledgebase/50290/Mirrors-statistics. Accessed Aug 24, 2017
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2003) DPR Korea: state of the environment 2003. Thailand
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2012) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea environment and climate change outlook—project proposals. Pyongyang
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2012a) Hamhung hydropower plant no.1 project design document. https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/CEC1331622653.28/view. Accessed March 31, 2016
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2012b) Kumya hydropower plant project design document. https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/CEC1331622771.71/view. Accessed March 31, 2016
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2012c) Paekdusan Songun Youth 14 MW hydropower project no.2 project design document. https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/CEC1331623095.74/view. Accessed March 31, 2016
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2012d) Ryesonggang hydropower plant no.4, DPR Korea project design document. https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1342604532.98/view. Accessed March 31, 2016
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2012e) Ryesonggang hydropower plant no.5, DPR Korea project design document. https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1345547097.14/view. Accessed March 31, 2016
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2012f) Ryesonggang hydropower plant no.3, DPR Korea project design document. https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/DNV-CUK1344484466.61/view. Accessed March 31, 2016
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2016a) Intended nationally determined contribution of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Bonn
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2016b) AMS-I.D.: grid connected renewable electricity generation—version 17. http://cdm.unfccc.int/filestorage/V/9/L/V9LRSXKP24Q7YT6HZDUBO3C0ING8AJ.1/EB61_repan17_Revision_AMS-I.D_ver17.pdf?t=NXd8b3VuaWtnfDBnSb1K7iPoc99-BKdxaREC. Accessed March 31, 2016
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2017) Clean development mechanism (CDM). http://cdm.unfccc.int/. Accessed June 29, 2017
WHO (World Health Organization) (2017) World health statistics 2017: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals. WHO (World Health Organization) Geneva
Funding
This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government through the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP) (NRF-2017R1A2B4006760) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) (NRF-2017R1A6A3A11029726).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
ESM1
(DOCX 41.9 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yeo, M.J., Kim, Y.P. Electricity supply trend and operating statuses of coal-fired power plants in North Korea using the facility-specific data produced by North Korea: characterization and recommendations. Air Qual Atmos Health 11, 979–992 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-018-0601-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-018-0601-5