Government Aims to Deploy 3.5 Million Heat Pumps by 2035 to Drive Decarbonization

Heat pump

South Korea: The government has unveiled plans to accelerate the adoption of heat pumps, which use air-source heat for space heating and hot water, as part of its broader decarbonization strategy. During a ministerial meeting on industrial competitiveness and the growth strategy task force held at the Government Complex Sejong on the morning of the 16th, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment outlined a target to cut 5.18 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by deploying 3.5 million heat pumps by 2035. To support this goal, 58.3 billion Korean won (US$ 39.4 million) has been allocated in next year’s budget alone.

Heat pumps extract heat from the air, ground, or water and use electricity to provide indoor heating or hot water, eliminating the need for direct fossil fuel combustion. As a result, they are seen as a key component of the government’s thermal energy decarbonization strategy and may even qualify as a renewable energy source. This priority led Climate Minister Kim Sung-whan to quickly establish a dedicated "Thermal Industry Innovation Division" shortly after the ministry’s launch in October.

The government intends to focus on deploying heat pumps in single-family homes equipped with solar panels, social welfare facilities, and newly constructed apartments in areas without gas infrastructure. Measures to expand the initial market include subsidies, tariff incentives, and mandatory installations in public sector projects. Nevertheless, concerns remain that the initiative could be unsustainable without continued financial support, with critics suggesting the government is “forcing through a system that cannot be maintained without subsidies.”

Source: SK Government