| An aerial view of Korea Gas Corporation's Liquefied Natural Gas power plant in Jeju that finished construction in November 2019./ Courtesy of Korea Gas Corporation. |
By Jung Hae-myoung
Since the year 2000, when there were only 58 natural gas buses in the country, the number has increased to 27,422 as of November 2018.
Around 38.2 million tons of natural gas was brought into the country in 2018, ranking Korea third in the world for natural gas imports.
Natural gas is not only used to fuel buses but also for housing, industry, and combined heat and power generation.
As Korean citizens are becoming more environmentally conscious, and paying more attention to pollution from fine dust and greenhouse gases, people are moving towards cleaner energy options such as natural gas.
It is considered one of the most eco-friendly energy sources, as pollutants such as dust, sulfur and nitrogen are eliminated during the liquefaction process.
Natural gas is considered safe compared to other energy sources, because it evaporates easily even if it leaks. The ignition temperature is high so there is less danger of explosion. The heat efficiency is higher compared to other fuels and thus it can be used across industries.
The supply system is also stable since the energy is buried in different places worldwide. During the purification process, materials such as sulfur, butane, and propane can be also exported as well as hydrogen, which is slated as the future of energy.
"Standing at the turning point from fossil fuels to the era of eco-friendly, low carbon energy where hydrogen and new renewable energy is important, natural gas will play a role as a bridge for the transition in energy," the official at Korea Gas Corporation said.
Korea Gas Corporation is a company that is currently producing and supplying natural gas. It pays special attention to safety. Their main control station monitors the flux and pressure of the pipelines in Korea 24 hours a day with an up-to-date remote supervisory control system, backed up by a quick-response system in the face of a natural disaster.
"The vision for the third Energy Basic Plan is sustainable development through the transformation of energy and boosting people's quality of life. Energy must transform to become cleaner and safer, and natural gas will play an important role in achieving this," the Korea Gas Corporation official said.