K-water celebrates launch of new floating solar panel cluster

K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon, fifth from right, poses with other dignitaries during a congratulatory ceremony held to mark the completion of construction of a new floating solar photovoltaic cluster at Chungju Dam in North Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of K-water

By Lee Hyo-jin

The state-run Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) has completed construction of a new floating solar photovoltaic cluster at Chungju Dam in North Chungcheong Province, as part of its effort to promote eco-friendly hydropower technology.

A congratulatory ceremony to mark the completion of construction was held in Chungju on Wednesday, attended by K-water officials and local residents.

A floating solar photovoltaic system is an emerging technology in which solar cells are placed directly over a body of water, as opposed to other conventional places such as building rooftops.

The newly installed floating photovoltaic array was built as part K-water's efforts to promote eco-friendly hydropower technology, in response to the accelerating climate change and to contribute to the country's net zero goal.

The solar panels are capable of generating 3,462 megawatt-hours per year, enough to power about 1,400 homes. Also, they generate power without fine dust or greenhouse gas emissions, which would lead to a reduction of carbon emissions by 1,581 tons per year and save about 6,000 barrels of oil imports.

It is notable that this project was proposed by local residents of Hansu Township, K-water said.

In 2019, a fisheries coalition in the area proposed the idea, hoping that the construction of floating solar panels will bring positive impacts to the residents, such as increasing the number of juvenile fish.

Park Jong-you, the head of the coalition who attended the ceremony on Wednesday, welcomed the completion of the project, expressing his hopes that the solar panels could be a landmark for Hansu Township.

“We will continue to actively review and introduce projects that can contribute to the development of local communities, as well as to the achievement of carbon neutrality, by expanding our floating solar facilities which have proven to be eco-friendly and sustainable,” Park Jae-hyeon, CEO of K-water, said in a statement.

K-water is one of the leading renewable energy companies in Korea, currently operating various renewable energy plants using floating solar power, hydroelectric power and tidal power.

It plans to further expand its eco-friendly solar and hydrothermal power systems to contribute to low-carbon energy transition.

Since 2011, it has established three floating solar power facilities in dams located in Chungju, as well as Hapcheon and Boryeong, and is reviewing an expansion to 13 more dams across the country.