Korea Southern Power Co. (KOSPO) is making massive investments into new and renewable energy projects with the goal of making a shift in the energy paradigm to promote public safety. 

The power company is accelerating efforts to expand new and renewable energy industry infrastructure with the goal of building wind power units and 100 small hydro power units. KOSPO’s move is in line with the government’s target of raising the portion of Korea’s new and renewable energies in power generation to 20 percent by 2030. KOSPO is looking even fiether than the government’s official target: The power company is targeting the percentage of new and renewable energies at 30 percent by 2030, which it calls the “New/Renewal 3030 Target.”

KOSPO operates 51 wind power units with a combined capacity of 105MW, the most in Korea. Starting with the dedication of the Hangyeon Wind Power project’s first phase (four units with a combined 1.5MW) in 2004, KOSPO successfully implemented the 1.8MW Taebaek Wind Power Project and the 16MW Changjuk Wind Power Project in succession. In 2016, the power company put the 30MW Peyongchang Wind Power in commercial service to supply power for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. 

This year, KOSPO is launching the 32MW Jeongam Wind Power Project and the 20MW Gyenaemi Wind Power Project. 

The power company plans to build the 30MW Mt. Yookbaek Power Plant in Samcheok and 60MW Ahnin Power Plant in Gangneung next year. KOSPO plans to build a 100MW large-capacity wind power complex in Daejeong-eup, Jeju to overcome the limits of overland power.

KOSPO is striving to explore small hydro power resources. The power company aims at building 100 small hydro power units across the nation by 2019. The power can be utilized in such diverse areas as tap water networks and waste water treatment plant effluents. It does not spew greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the easing of global warming and the substitution of fuels for power generation. 

KOSPO is now working on the research of a 5kW-class high-efficiency multi-use solar cell module. The module is a technology embedding concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) cells in non-CPV cell space. 

Non-concentrating photovoltaic power cells are cheaper in price and can generate power on cloudy days using scattered sunlight, but they have such drawbacks as low efficiency and usage rates hovering at a range of about 15 percent. CPV cells can generate power twice more than non-CPV cells, but they cannot see generation efficiency drop in cloudy weather and are expensive. 

The high-efficiency multi-use solar cell module KOSPO is now developing is striving to employ all strengths of CPV cell and non-CPV cell. In clear weather, CPV and non-CPV cells are utilized simultaneously to max out power generation, but non-CPV cells are used to add power generation on cloudy days. 

KOSPO is also planning to build fuel cells and biomass power units at idled lots of its power complexes. The power company is implementing a 20MW fuel cell phase 1 project whose dedication is slated for next August, using an idle area of the Shin Incheon Power Complex. The 8MW-class, second phase project is to be launched soon. KOSPO plans to launch fuel cell unit projects using idle lands of power complexes in Busan, Yeongweol, and Andong. 

The Samcheok Power Complex is planning to build a 100MW-class eco-friendly biomass power unit on its idled area. 

KOSPO plans to utilize fuels for biomass power generation from regional companies located near the units with the goal of contributing to boosting the regional economy through job creation and more consumption.