Jindo Uldolmok Tidal Power
A ceremony for the Jindo Uldolmok Tidal Power Plant was held in Uldolmok, an area off Jindo, an island in South Jeolla Province, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.
The plant, harnessing the fast tidal movement in the area, will initially generate enough electricity to power 430 households.
The construction, started in April 2005, took 12.5 billion won ($9.9 million) to complete, the ministry said. All the technologies applied to building it were locally developed.
“It’s not official, but to our knowledge, it is the second tidal power plant in the world, after the United Kingdom built a tidal power plant in 2008,” said an official at the ministry, requesting anonymity.
“Building a tidal power plant requires high technology, which we think only a few countries have obtained so far.”
According to the official, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has asked to partner with Korea on tidal power technology.
The Korean government believes the Uldolmok Tidal Power Plant is a big stride to achieving its goal of generating 5,260 gigawatt hours using tidal power by 2020.
To that end, the ministry plans to extend the facility capacity of the Uldolmok plant by 2013 to provide electricity for around 46,000 households.
The expanded plant will have a 90 megawatt capacity, 90 times what it now has, the ministry said.
If the extension is made, it will be the world’s biggest tidal power plant, according to the ministry. With the operation of the extended power plant, Korea can save 200,000 barrels of crude oil every year, the ministry said.
The ministry is also conducting feasibility surveys on the sea near Jindo for the site of two additional tidal power plants.
“Low-carbon green growth is a solution to the fast depletion of fossil fuel energy and climate change,” said Choi Jang-hyun, land vice minister, during the completion ceremony for the Uldolmok plant.
“That’s the reason we are focused on the development of the sea, which is rich in renewable energy sources,” he added. According to the ministry, Korea is also set to roll out its first wave power plant, equipped with 25.4 kilowatt capacity, in Sihwa, Gyeonggi Province by the second half of next year.
Udolmok was the historical stage for a famous sea battle between Korea and Japan during the Joseon Dynasty. Thirteen ships led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin defeated some 330 Japanese ships during the 1592-98 Imjin War, according to historical documents in Korea.
Yesterday’s ceremony was also attended by Park Jun-young, governor of South Jeolla Province, and 500 residents of Jindo. Korea imports 97 percent of its energy.
By Moon Gwang-lip
