Seoul may float power stations off coast

South Korea says it may anchor floating power plants off the country's coast to help counter a looming shortage of electricity this winter. The power shortage is anticipated because two reactors that produce a combined 2 million kilowatts of energy were shut down because they contained potentially faulty parts, The Chosun Ilbo reported. Four "powerships" that each produce 150,000 kilowatts could be rented from Turkey. Officials with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy held an emergency meeting Tuesday with officials of the power monopoly KEPCO to discuss how to deal with a power situation that has grown more serious sooner than expected. A cold wave was not expected until December but supplies are already short. In addition to the powerships, the government is considering forcing public companies to turn on emergency generators that have a capacity of more than 1,000 kilowatts. Electrical authorities estimate 500,000 kilowatts could be freed up for other customers.