Kim Byung-chul, head of KOSPO’s Business Division, Rep. Pred Upton of Michigan, and Niles Mayor Nick Shelton pose at a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a gas-fired combined-cycle power plant (CCPP) project in Cass County, Michigan, the United States, on Sept. 4. (Photos: KOSPO)

Korea Southern Power Co. (KOSPO) launched a project to build a 1,085MW, gas-fired combined-cycle power plant (CCPP) in Cass County, Michigan, the United States, on Sept. 4.

Among those on hand at a groundbreaking ceremony were Rep. Pred Upton of Michigan, Niles Mayor Nick Shelton, U.S. parliament and state government officials as well as Korean Consul-General to Chicago Kim Young-suk, and Kim Sung-soo, head of KOTRA Chicago Trade Office.

The project, costing $1.05 billion, calls for the construction and operation of the Niles CCPP. The project involves the dedication of the plant in March 2022 and its operation for 35 years. KOSPO is expected to earn an average of $500 million in annual revenues from the project.

Investment conditions are considered to be good since the project has strengths such as a stable supply of fuel, and selling electricity to the PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization (RTO) that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity.

The PJM Interconnection is one of the U.S. wholesale electricity markets, supplying electricity to 65 million residents in 13 states in Northeast of the United Sates.

The construction of the CCPP is also expected to involve Korean-made devices and equipment, including boilers and transformers and create jobs. The project has a good potential to lay a foothold in the U.S. market.

Kiewit, a Nebraska-based EPC company, is known to have accumulated rich experiences related to the construction of CCPPs.

Kim Byung-chul, head of KOSPO’s Business Division, said, “Korean power plants were constructed by using U.S. funds at the nation’s early stage of economic development, but today I’m very pleased to hold a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a massive new CCPP in the United States using the money of the first Korean public entity.”

The project is Korea’s biggest in the United States, and it is a win-win investment for the two countries, he added.

A bird’s eye-view of a gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Cass County, Michigan the U.S.

KOSPO Investa Big in Photovoltaic Power Industry

The Jeongam Photovoltaic Power Farm has emerged as a new landmark of the Jeongseon area in Gangwon-do since it goes well with regional wild flower festivals.

The Jeongam Photovoltaic Power Farm marks the first anniversary of its dedication. It is the fourth photovoltaic power farm built by KOSPO. KOSPO also has the 18MW Taebaek, 16MW Changjuk, 30MW PyeongChang, and 32MW Jeongam photovoltaic power farms.

The latest dedication of the Jeongam Photovoltaic Power Farm brings to 46 the number of photovoltaic power units built by KOSPO. They have a combined capacity of 96.2 MW.

The 32.2MW farm, outfitted with 14 units - each with 2.3MW - is capable of generating 78,000MWh of electricity, enough to power 22,000 households annually. The station is estimated to have an effect of reducing 33,000 tons annually of greenhouse gas emissions.

The photovoltaic power farm is located in the Mahang Hill area 1,250 meters above the sea level. The farm was built with eco-friendly construction methods to minimize the damages of the ecosystem.