"Over 97.5% of Pipelines Used for More Than 20 Years... Severe Aging"

City Gas Pipelines 37.6%·Heat Transport Pipes 26.2%
"Long-term Use Pipes Are Time Bombs... Safety Inspections and Replacement Work Concurrently"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The aging of underground buried facilities such as city gas pipelines, heat transport pipes, and oil pipelines is becoming severe, raising calls for enhanced safety management.

On the 6th, according to the 'Status of Aging Infrastructure' submitted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to Lee Seong-man, a member of the National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee from the Democratic Party, among all underground buried facilities, aging infrastructure over 20 years old is classified by type as follows: oil pipelines 1,310 km (97.5%), city gas pipelines 19,680 km (37.6%), and heat transport pipes 1,163 km (26.2%).

Most oil pipelines have been judged to have been in long-term use for over 20 years, with facilities exceeding 30 years accounting for more than 10%, totaling 164 km.

In the case of city gas pipelines, among the 4,930 km managed by Korea Gas Corporation, 1,986 km (40.3%) and among the 47,417 km managed by 34 city gas companies nationwide, 17,694 km (37.3%) were classified as aging infrastructure over 20 years old.

Korea District Heating Corporation manages more than half of the total 4,431 km of heat transport pipes, specifically 2,346 km, of which 811 km have been in long-term use for over 20 years, mostly concentrated in the metropolitan area (Seoul and Gyeonggi 715 km).

Since the heat transport pipe rupture accident in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province in 2018, the government has been emphasizing safety management of aging heat transport pipes. In August, the Korea Energy Agency was designated as a safety inspection agency and announced plans to conduct safety inspections every five years.

However, in five years, an additional 8,385 km of city gas pipelines and 541 km of heat transport pipes will be classified as aging infrastructure used long-term for over 20 years. Accordingly, the proportion of aging city gas pipelines will increase to 53.6%, and aging heat transport pipes to 38.5% in five years.

Assemblyman Lee said, "The safety issues of aging long-term used heat transport pipes, gas pipelines, and oil pipelines are like time bombs that could explode at any time," emphasizing, "We must diligently carry out corrective actions based on safety inspection results and promptly start replacement work targeting underground buried facilities with low grades."

Source: Office of Lee Sung-man, Democratic Party of Korea

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