View of Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in operation[사진=한울원자력본부 제공]
Securities analysts are choosing the nuclear power plant industry as the industry that will experience the most dramatic change as a result of the 20th presidential election. Although the current government has consistently maintained the principle of denuclearization, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol has criticized it since his candidacy and promised to abolish the nuclear-free policy following his election.
According to the financial investment industry on March 12, Candidate Yoon’s nuclear-related promises are evaluated as a timely decision. This is because the current government’s policies are somewhat out of step with global movements.
Recently, the European Union (EU) has included nuclear power in its green taxonomy, which defines the ‘environmentally sustainable scope of economic activity’. This means that even if electricity produced through nuclear power is used, it will be included in the category of ‘eco-friendly’.
In a situation where RE100 has become an important indicator of the international industry, a new energy source that can replace nuclear power has not yet emerged, and it is a decision due to complex causes such as the natural gas crisis that has recently shaken the European economy. The US has already defined nuclear power as green energy and is actively developing it as an energy source that replaces fossil fuels.
Currently, the Korean government is also planning to develop nuclear power plants for ‘export’ rather than ‘domestic consumption’, but it was realistically difficult to hope for overseas orders without winning domestic orders.
Hwa-jin Lee, a researcher at Hyundai Motor Securities, said, “The previous government promoted the ‘nuclear-free policy’, but the EU’s policy is the mainstream of global ESG policy flow, and it is not realistically easy to supply stable electricity with only solar and wind power generation. The opinion that it is reasonable to move toward carbon neutrality will be strengthened,” he predicted.
Hwang Seong-hyeon, a researcher at Eugene Investment & Securities, said, “President Biden of the United States is also inducing the extension of the lifespan of existing nuclear power plants through tax support. It is highly likely to go in that direction.”
Kwon Duk-min, a researcher at Shinyoung Securities, also said, “There is a high possibility that the construction of Shin-Hanul Unit 3 and Shin-Hanul Unit 4, which were suspended due to the nuclear phase out policy, will resume.” .
Here, it is analyzed that President-elect Yoon’s decision to abolish the electricity rate hike is a promise that is tied to the revival of nuclear power plants. According to the stock market, nuclear power plants cost 6.14 won per kWh per kWh, 57.83 won for bituminous coal, and 96.67 won for LNG.
Ahn Young-jin, a researcher at SK Securities, said, “Nuclear power has the lowest fuel cost among current power sources.
- reporter information
- Hyeonchang Kang
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