S.Korea's oldest coal-fired plant to shut down

Seoul, Dec 28 (IANS) South Korea's oldest coal-powered plant will be shut down this week, in line with the government's plan to shift toward renewable energy and to reduce fine dust, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Tuesday.

Honam Coal Power Plant, located in Yeosu, 450 km south of Seoul, will stop operations from Friday, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

The plant has been in operation since 1973.

he closure is part of the Moon Jae-in administration's plan to phase out 10 aging coal power plants and convert part of them into liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants to reduce coal use.

The nation's 10 coal-based reactors have now all been retired since 2017 as their operational life cycles expire one by one.

A new LNG plant, which generates less fine dust, will be newly built at the Yeosu site, the Ministry said.