69th Emissions Verification Committee approves 20 new external projects including heat pumps; certifies 329,000 tons of reductions from 13 existing projects

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The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said Tuesday it had reviewed and approved a slate of agenda items — including feasibility assessments and emissions reduction certifications for external projects such as heat pumps, solar installations and fuel switching — at the 69th Emissions Verification Committee, which was conducted in writing over two days beginning Monday.

External projects are initiatives that reduce, absorb or remove greenhouse gases from emission sources or activities outside the entities directly covered by the emissions trading scheme. Certified reduction credits from such projects can be used in the emissions permit market.

In the feasibility assessment round, six heat pump projects aimed at improving heating energy efficiency in agricultural greenhouses were approved, along with four projects to install solar panels on buildings and public facilities to cut greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use.

Alongside these, a total of 20 reduction projects were approved — covering fuel switching, vegetation restoration, sulfur hexafluoride recovery, high-efficiency compressor replacement and biomass fuel use. The combined measures are expected to cut roughly 73,433 tons of greenhouse gases annually.

Particularly notable was the inclusion of multiple agricultural heat pump projects, which are expected to advance energy transition and greenhouse gas reduction in the farming sector at the same time.

The heat pump projects replace fossil fuel-based heating systems in agricultural greenhouses with heat pumps — high-efficiency, eco-friendly equipment that draws on air-source or geothermal energy — to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Four solar installation projects were also approved, covering installations at apartment complexes and businesses as well as self-consumption projects, and are expected to accelerate the shift to renewable energy in everyday settings.

For projects already approved and under way, the committee certified a total of 329,306 tons of greenhouse gas reductions across 13 projects, including heat pumps, landfill gas incineration, heating system conversion, fuel switching and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) waste refrigerant decomposition.

The certified reductions can later be converted into offset credits for use in the greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme.

The committee also approved two new methodologies: one covering the recovery and decomposition of halogenated fire-suppression agents generated when fire-extinguishing equipment is decommissioned, and another for reducing energy consumption through the application of recirculating aquaculture systems.

The ministry said it plans to continue registering methodologies that reflect a range of reduction technologies and on-the-ground needs, with the aim of broadening the scope of eligible external projects.

"Heat pumps and solar installations are representative greenhouse gas reduction tools that can be applied immediately in people's daily lives and at industrial sites," said Lee Gyeong-su, the ministry's climate and energy policy director. "We will actively identify new methodologies and projects so that tangible reduction outcomes can be generated across diverse sectors through external projects."


thlee@heraldcorp.com