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South Korea’s Nuclear Boom Powers Clean Energy Transition

Clean Energy

Business Honor
27 March, 2025

Record-breaking nuclear output reduces fossil fuel imports, driving a sustainable future.

South Korea is leaping in the direction of clean energy through its increased output of nuclear power, reducing its reliance on fossil fuel imports, and reducing carbon emissions. As of the start of 2025, the country's nuclear power facilities generated more electricity than coal and natural gas power plants, something that began in September of 2024. The change has resulted in a 20% reduction in imports of coal and LNG in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the corresponding time frame last year.

South Korea's nuclear power plants generated a record-high 17.9 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in January 2025, a 20% boost from last year, based on figures from Ember. Nuclear power supplied almost 35% of the country's total electricity generation. This is led by gains in efficiency in the current reactors and by the commissioning of the Shin Hanul-2 reactor in early 2024. Over the period from 2019 to 2024, nuclear power generation increased by 29%, to 189 TWh.

The increase in nuclear power helped South Korea lower coal-fired power generation by 26%, though total electricity generation increased by 6%. Electricity generated from natural gas also improved by 17% between the years 2019 and 2024, but in 2024 nuclear power overtook coal and gas as the biggest source of energy for the first time.

With the addition of four new reactors under construction, South Korea's nuclear dominance is poised to increase even further. The country's fossil fuel imports already dropped to a record last year, with thermal coal imports dropping by 23% and LNG imports dropping by 16% in early 2025.

South Korea's nuclear success demonstrates how nations can transition towards cleaner, nationally autonomous energy systems, reducing dependence on international fossil fuels and domestic power production.