Republic of Korea and United States cooperative energy assessment. Volume 1. Main report

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6640030

The Korea/US Cooperative Energy Assessment provides a comprehensive perspective on Korea's energy situation. A number of observations can be made regarding current energy conditions, prospects for growth, and energy system alternatives. In addition, a number of steps can be identified as follow-up activities to the assessment. Korea is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for its energy needs. In 1978, crude oil satisfied 65.0% of Korea's primary energy requirements, and coal another 26.1%. Korea has no known domestic reserves of oil or natural gas, and its limited supply of domestic coal is a low-heat-value high-ash anthracite. (There are 116 million tonnes of proven coal reserves, 76 to 126 million tonnes of probable reserves, and an estimated 157 to 393 million tonnes of possible reserves). Extensive reserves of relatively low-grade uranium exist, but they are not yet economically exploitable. Renewable resources have played a limited role in Korea's energy picture, and little change is seen for the future. Imported fuels must satisfy the vast majority of Korea's energy needs. They accounted for 69.8% of the total fuel use in 1978. The 1978 sectoral breakdown of energy consumption was: industry/agriculture, 40%; residential/commercial, 28%; transportation, 12%; and public, 14%. The largest industrial energy consumer is petrochemical production, which requires more than twice the energy of the next largest industrial subsector, cement. The residential/commercial sector is least dependent on petroleum products, over half its energy requirements being satisfied by coal and 20% by wood. There are significant fuel-switching opportunities in these two sectors for future growth. The majority of industrial demand is for direct heat with no fuel restrictions and for indirect heat (steam production).

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6640030
• Report Number(s): DOE/IA-0018-Vol.1; ON: DE84015683
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
02 PETROLEUM
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
ENERGY DEMAND
ENERGY SOURCES
COAL
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
NUCLEAR ENERGY
PETROLEUM
URANIUM
ACTINIDES
ASIA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DEMAND
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
FUELS
MATERIALS
METALS
292000* - Energy Planning & Policy- Supply
Demand & Forecasting
290400 - Energy Planning & Policy- Energy Resources
015000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
020700 - Petroleum- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects