95 MW of Solar Power on Soyang Dam’s Waters... 190 Billion Won Clean Energy Project Gets Underway

【Financial News Chuncheon—Reporter Kim Ki-seop】A 95-MW-class solar power facility worth 190 billion won will be built on the waters of Soyang Dam, transforming it into a clean-energy hub that generates electricity from sunlight during the day and water at night.
According to Chuncheon City on the 30th, the city held the Soyang Dam Floating Solar Vision Declaration Ceremony that day at the Soyang Dam Water Culture Center, together with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Gangwon State and Korea Water Resources. The project will float solar facilities on the unused surface of Soyang Dam and use the dam’s existing transmission lines through an alternating transmission system. Electricity from floating solar power will be transmitted during the day, when sunlight is strong, while hydropower will be sent through the same lines at night and during other periods. This approach can increase renewable energy production while saving the time and cost required to build new transmission networks.
Soyang Dam is also the first step in K-water’s nationwide plan to expand floating solar power. Starting with Soyang Dam, K-water plans to develop a total of 500 MW of floating solar power at 10 dams across the country by 2029.
The project also aligns with Chuncheon’s vision of becoming an energy self-governing city. In April, the city unveiled plans to expand its renewable energy production base in preparation for increased power demand from major development projects, including a hydrothermal energy convergence cluster, an industrial complex and a Corporate Innovation Park. It has been considering floating solar power at Soyang Dam as a way to use the region’s water-surface resources and existing infrastructure. Taking into account the various restrictions residents near the dam have endured while it supplied water for decades, the city plans to consult with relevant agencies so that residents can participate in the project and share in its power-generation benefits.
Yook Dong-han, mayor of Chuncheon, said, "We must never forget, especially on a day like today, the hardships of residents living near the dam who have endured various restrictions for more than half a century to provide water." He added, "As the water and sunlight of Soyang Dam become a new starting point for the nation’s clean energy, the city will take the lead in consultations with relevant agencies so residents can participate directly in the project and see the benefits of power generation returned to them in their daily lives."

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