Seoul's oldest power plant to be rebuilt underground

This is an artist’s impression of the new Seoul Thermal Power Plan to be built near Hapjeong-dong by 2016. / Courtesy of Seoul Thermal Power Plant

By Kim Se-jeong

• Published Jan 9, 2013 3:00 PM KST
• Updated Jan 9, 2013 3:00 PM KST

Despite residents’ protests, gov’t will press ahead with construction

By Kim Se-jeong

Walking around Hapjeong, a lively district in the western part of Seoul, one can spot, at any time of day, steam spiraling out of two tall chimneys.

The 83-year-old Seoul Thermal Power Plant, also known as Danginlee Power Plant, sitting on the bank of the Han River, is one of the main electricity suppliers in the capital.

The station with a generating capacity of 400 megawatts is, however, soon to be rebuilt as an underground facility.

Two power generators will be reset underground, while the 119,008-square-meter space above it will be transformed into a public cultural complex with an exhibition hall, an amphitheater and studios for independent artists.

What is set to be the nation’s first underground power plant has met with opposition from local residents. Citing safety concerns, a group of residents oppose the planned project, and demand that it be relocated.

The Danginlee Power Plant was built in 1930, and has survived through most of Korea’s turbulent modern history.

The very first unit was completed in November 1930, and had a capacity of 10,000 kilowatts. The second unit came on stream five years later in 1935 with a capacity of producing 12,500 kilowatts of electricity.

Surviving the Korean War (1950-53), the plant added its third unit in 1956, increasing its support of the nation’s post-war recovery process. The fourth and fifth units, completed in 1969 and 1971 respectively, were an integral part of then President Park Chung-hee’s national economic development drive.

The first three units were designed to run on coal delivered by trains that ran through the famous Hongdae district. Due to environmental concerns, the use of coal was discontinued in 1971 and replaced with units that ran on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The first three coal powered units were eventually demolished.

According to statistics, the remaining two are among 169 thermal power generators running on LNG. The total number of thermal power plants up and running across the country are 233. Besides those running on LNG, 58 units run on bituminous coal and six on anthracite coal.

One of the Danginlee Power Plant’s important tasks is to supply power to government facilities in the event of a national crisis, which the Korea Midland Power Corp., the operator of the plant, says is why the power plant can only move so far from its current location.

The new plant will have the capacity of generating 800 megawatts, almost double its current capacity. The existing facilities will continue to operate at full capacity until the underground site is completed.

All the buildings on the surface are scheduled to be demolished except for two currently housing turbines, which will be transformed into studios for independent artists.

“We were inspired by Tate Modern Gallery in London,” said Kim Heung-rog, vice president of the power plant who also oversees the underground construction. England’s most visited gallery is based inside the former Bankside Power Station, which closed in 1981. It now has an average of 4.7 million visitors every year.

Opposition to the proposed plans for the power plant is recent.

The story goes back to 2007 when the central government decided to expand the capacity of Seoul Thermal Power Station to meet future energy demand, resulting in the initial proposal to construct the underground plant.

The opposition among residents in the neighborhood began to take shape due to demands that the power plant find a new location. It coincided with the 2007 presidential election when presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak curried favor with local voters by promising the relocation.

Against this backdrop, the operator began a protracted two-year-long relocation negotiation with Goyang city in Gyeonggi Province albeit with little success.

Last year, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy finally decided to opt for the underground option, with construction set to begin in June and July this year. It is projected to be completed by the end of 2016. The ministry oversees the country’s energy policies.

Vice President Kim says the project will eventually be a tourist magnate in the district, and will make the area a landmark in the Mapo district.

Adjacent Hongdae, one of the most visited and popular tourist areas in Seoul, the new cultural complex on the surface will be a contributing factor to tourism in the nation’s capital, he said.

This optimism is shared by small business owners in the neighborhood. Kim Jae-wook, the owner of a small coffee shop in the neighborhood, welcomed the news of the underground power plant.

“Not just the foreign tourists, I hope the new project will also attract local crowds that come to Hongdae. It’ll be beneficial to local businesses like mine.”

But local residents remain adamant in their demands for the project to be relocated insisting, “Not in my back yard” an expression known by the acronym ‘Nimby.’

“No matter how deep it is going to be buried, it’s still dangerous. What if it explodes?” commented one resident who has lived in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years to The Korea Times on condition of anonymity.

“How do I know what the thick white smoke contains? It often blocks the sun. Why do I have to go through this?” said one middle-aged man who was jogging on the street.

An Internet blog run by opponents is abundant with complaints. A man identifying himself as the head of the group wrote, “This is a failed policy of Lee Myung-bak, who doesn’t remember what he originally promised.”

Citing Germany and Great Britain which operate power plants in the middle of their cities, Vice President Kim asked the public to be patient. “The power plant is nothing to feel disgusted about. And things will change completely when the underground project is completed.”