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A Proposal for Improving the Preliminary Feasibility Study Framework for Offshore Wind Marshalling Ports
To facilitate the expansion of offshore wind energy, it is imperative to proactively secure installation vessels and the supporting infrastructure of marshalling ports. However, Mokpo New Port is currently the only domestic facility practically capable of executing installation operations. Consequently, there is a significant risk that port bottlenecks will materialize as deployment volumes scale up in the future. The critical challenge is that while the development of marshalling ports requires passing the Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) in a timely manner, the current port PFS framework may not fully reflect the roles and operational characteristics of marshalling ports in benefit calculations, which could lead to an inappropriate assessment of their economic feasibility. Accordingly, this issue paper reviews the current port PFS Guidelines from the perspective of offshore wind marshalling ports as ‘special-purpose infrastructure’ and proposes directions for regulatory improvement to ensure realistic benefit quantification.
Defining Low-Carbon Steel in Korea : Technology Pathways under the K-Steel Act
The Act on Strengthening the Competitiveness of the Steel Industry and Supporting Its Carbon Neutral Transition(the “K-Steel Act”), passed by the National Assembly on November 27, marks Korea’s first formal commitment to steering its steel industry toward a low-carbon transition through institutional government support. With concrete implementation tools such as a Prime Minister-led Special Committee and the designation of low-carbon steel industrial zones, the Act makes the definition of low-carbon steel products and low-carbon steel technologies a decisive factor for the industry’s future competitiveness.
A Big Picture for the Inverter-Dominated Future Grid - Advances in Inverter Technology and Grid Stability
The growth of renewable energy is causing instability in power grids, including falling system inertia, tighter voltage-control margins, and resonance issues. To navigate these challenges and build a next-generation grid, it is vital to review how inverter technology has developed and evaluate its impact on system stability. This report highlights two main approaches to securing future grid stability and explores the transition into ‘software-defined grids,’ where software intelligence underpins system stability and control.
Coal Phase-Out Watcher NEXT Electricity Outlook 2025 - Part 2
This study presents an optimized coal phase-out roadmap that enables coal-fired power plants to maintain economic viability during their remaining operational period. By doing so, it aims to reduce uncertainties and financial risks associated with coal plant operations and contribute to accelerating the transition toward renewable energy.
![[Column] How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Range-Based NDC Targets](https://ynafojsvljfevwkcitzr.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/publications/images/b7ba0ace-5313-4ff2-ab5d-1dbe54be2ff6.jpg)
[Column] How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Range-Based NDC Targets
The government has finalized its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) as a 53–61% reduction from 2018 levels. However, the lower-bound–oriented approach is viewed as prioritizing industrial burdens over scientific evidence. A range-type target risks driving administrative action toward the lower end, leaving the upper target as a symbolic declaration. To ensure industrial competitiveness and policy credibility, institutional improvements—such as setting fiscal and R&D plans based on the upper bound and introducing incentives for overachievement—are needed.
Climate Risk-Based Prevention : An Imperative for Climate-Ready Governance
As the climate crisis accelerates, the nature of disasters is undergoing a qualitative transformation. The intensity of traditional disasters such as heatwaves and wildfires is increasing, while new risks—including flash droughts and compound disasters—are occurring more frequently, exposing the limitations of existing disaster response systems. In Korea, the average annual economic damage from natural disasters over the past five years (2019–2023) reached KRW 1.375 trillion, a sharp increase compared to KRW 198 billion during the previous five-year period (2014–2018). A fundamental cause of this escalation lies in the current disaster management framework’s reliance on historical data. Ahead of the planned release of the 4th National Climate Crisis Response Plan at the end of 2025, this issue brief identifies key policy priorities for shifting toward a prevention-centered disaster management paradigm.
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Renewable Energy Tax Incentives through Transferability : A Quantitative Analysis
To enhance the export competitiveness of companies facing pressure to achieve RE100, there is an urgent need to promote policies that expand renewable energy procurement. However, the current investment tax credit scheme remains ineffective due to its low credit rate and structural constraints. This issue paper recommends increasing the investment tax credit rate, allowing the transfer of tax benefits to companies that sign direct PPAs as assignees, and introducing additional credits for the use of domestically manufactured products and local community participation.
Writing the Next Chapter for Korea's Renewable Energy Market
This report focuses on advancing the structural sophistication of the system, improving financial accessibility, and expanding market flexibility to accelerate renewable energy deployment in Korea. As corporate RE100 implementation methods diversify, there is a growing need for portfolio-based procurement strategies rather than reliance on a single approach. Accordingly, greater policy flexibility and institutional refinement have become essential. This report proposes specific improvements in four areas.
Strategic Transformation of Korea’s Petrochemical Complexes
The global petrochemical industry is facing structural stagnation due to oversupply, threatening the regional economies of Korea’s three main complexes (Yeosu, Daesan, Ulsan). The Korea petrochemical industry needs to shift to a new growth sector, backed by real investment to ease regional stagnation.
In the Era of Climate Crisis, An Unforeseen Disaster Called Flash Drought
Flash droughts are an emerging type of drought that has newly emerged as climate change intensifies hydrologic extremes. Within days to weeks, they can rapidly deplete water resources due to a combination of precipitation deficits and high temperatures that increase evapotranspiration.