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Busan Metropolitan City Finalizes the 7th Regional Energy Plan

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced the finalization of the 7th Regional Energy Plan, a regional-level energy master plan established on a five-year cycle.

The Regional Energy Plan is a medium-term statutory plan established every five years in accordance with Article 23 of the Energy Act (Regional Energy Plan) to effectively achieve the national energy master plan and to promote the development of the regional economy.

Following the 6th plan in 2020, the 7th plan has been formulated under the vision of “BIG Busan – A Green Future Enjoyed Together Through an Inclusive Energy Transition.” It sets goals in the areas of renewable energy, distributed power, energy demand, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The plan includes measures to respond to the recent surge in energy demand due to the construction of data centers, new towns, and new industrial complexes, such as energy-saving initiatives and the expansion of renewable energy supply.

First, for renewable energy, the plan sets a target electricity self-sufficiency rate of 13.5% by 2030 and outlines a total of 74 projects, comprising 21 projects in the energy supply sector and 53 in the energy demand management sector.

In the energy supply sector, the city plans to actively expand the supply of solar power, offshore wind power, and fuel cells, aiming for a 390% increase in supply compared to 2023 (from 738 GWh to 3,620 GWh).

In the energy demand management sector, the city will promote energy-saving through facility improvement support and energy diagnostics in the industrial and building sectors. It will also expand citizen-led energy transition through education, public campaigns, and citizen-participatory generation projects.

Furthermore, Busan will implement energy welfare projects for vulnerable groups, such as the Energy Voucher Program, and promote the local energy industry to vitalize the regional economy.

For distributed power, which includes renewable energy, fuel cell systems, and energy storage systems (ESS), the city aims to achieve a 274% increase in supply by 2030 compared to 2023 (from 1,054 GWh to 3,936 GWh).

In terms of energy demand, the final energy demand in Busan is projected to be 6.226 million TOE (tons of oil equivalent) by 2030, a 15.3% reduction compared to the baseline demand of 7.352 million TOE.

The city reflected opinions from citizens and experts by assigning weighted priorities to individual projects and adopted a calculation method that links energy savings to greenhouse gas reduction effects.

For greenhouse gases, which are known as a major contributor to global warming, the city plans to reduce emissions from 24.92 million CO₂eq tons in 2022 to 21.648 million CO₂eq tons by 2030, a 13.2% reduction.

To prepare the contents of the plan, Busan Metropolitan City reviewed existing city-level plans related to carbon neutrality, climate change, and energy, and coordinated feasibility with relevant departments.

In addition, to formulate a citizen-participatory plan, the city conducted a survey of 1,048 citizens, held public hearings, organized communication programs with young people, and operated the Clean Energy Youth Supporters program.

To gather expert opinions, the city ran working groups such as the Energy Efficiency Task Force and the Hydrogen Industry Development Task Force, actively incorporating diverse feedback from both citizens and experts.

Following deliberation by the Energy Policy Committee on June 25, 2025, and final incorporation of committee opinions, the 7th Regional Energy Plan was officially confirmed pursuant to the city’s Energy Basic Ordinance.

Mayor Park Heong-joon emphasized, “While cutting-edge industries are future growth engines for Busan, the associated electricity demand is also surging. It is more crucial than ever to actively expand renewable energy.” He added, “We will implement the planned projects without delay to realize an energy-transitioned green city and to ensure that related industries contribute to the local economy.”