South Korea pumps up renewable energy
The country has earmarked 1 trillion won US $891.2 million in support, up from 808.4 billion won last year, for new and renewable energy projects and financing, such as support for building solar and wind power energy facilities, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said in a statement.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Asia's fourth-largest economy, heavily dependent on energy imports, would strengthen its new and renewable energy sectors, expecting the sectors to achieve exports of $40 billion in 2015 compared with $4.6 billion in 2009.
The investment includes 20 billion won to set up four or five test beds for solar and wind power generation.
One of the world's fastest-growing carbon polluters, South Korea is seeking to shift from its dependence on fossil fuels by expanding investment in green resources.
In October last year, the South Korean government said it would spend 40 trillion won by 2015 in a combined push by the public and private sectors to boost renewable energy resources.
Related News
Germany turns its back on nuclear for good despite Europe's energy crisis
BERLIN - The German government is phasing out nuclear power despite the energy crisis. The country is pulling the plug on its last three reactors, betting it will succeed in its green transition without nuclear power.
On the banks of the Neckar River, not far from Stuttgart in south Germany, the white steam escaping from the nuclear power plant in Baden-Württemberg will soon be a memory.
The same applies further east for the Bavarian Isar 2 complex and the Emsland complex, at the other end of the country, not far from the Dutch border.
While many Western countries depend on nuclear power, Europe's largest…
