Under Korea’s current BAU renewable energy deployment targets, the industry’s renewable electricity demand can narrowly be met until 2030, with shortfalls expected from 2032 onward. To align with RE100 goals, the national renewable energy target must rise to at least 30% of the power generation mix by 2030. The Korean government must strengthen policy support to enable more than 10GW of renewable energy facilities to be connected to the power grid annually.

This analysis assumes that the entire national renewable energy supply is allocated to voluntary corporate initiatives such as RE100. In practice, however, competing demand from RPS obligations, AI data centers, and the public sector may further limit availability for semiconductor companies, exacerbating supply shortages.

Continued reliance on green premiums—as is currently the case—yields limited emissions reduction benefits. By 2038, indirect emissions could still reach 12.94 million tons CO2eq, undermining both industry and national carbon neutrality goals. (In 2020, direct and indirect greenhoues gas emissions of Korea’s Semiconductor Industry were 16.45 million tons CO2eq.)

Achieving RE100 and carbon neutrality depends on expanding renewable energy supply centered on PPAs with high additionality. The Korean government must urgently address regulatory hurdles—such as permitting delays, distance restrictions, and grid bottlenecks—to scale up renewable energy supply. Companies must also promptly establish and implement carbon neutrality strategies that meet international standards by securing effective procurement methods such as PPAs and self-generation.