[AirUP, On Site] From the Lake of Death to the 'Clean Energy Lifeline' Transformation

Producing 250,000 kW of Electricity at Once
Power Supply for a City of 500,000 for One Year
Tidal Power Generation Utilizing Seawater Head
Successful Water Quality Improvement of Sihwaho
Establishment of Nearby Green Hydrogen Demonstration Facility
Full Effort for Renewable Energy Cluster

The world's largest Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station located in Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do. The left side of the photo is the sea, and the right side is the lake, generating electricity twice a day through tidal differences.

On the 17th, the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant is located in Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province, about 40 km southwest of Seoul. The power plant is situated at the midpoint of the 11.2 km Sihwa Embankment, which connects Oido in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi Province, and Daebu-do in Ansan-si. Unless one intentionally visits the power plant, it can easily be mistaken by the general public as a rest area with an observatory and rest stop offering a panoramic view of the West Sea, resembling a tourist attraction.

Operated by the Korea Water Resources Corporation, the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant is the world's largest tidal power plant, producing 254,000 kW of electricity at once through ten massive turbines, each with a capacity of 25,400 kW. The electricity generated here is enough to supply power to a city with a population of 500,000 for one year. Tidal power is a clean energy source that generates electricity by utilizing the potential energy from the tidal difference during ebb and flow. It produces electricity steadily for a total of 10 hours daily, twice for 5 hours each. The amount of electricity produced by the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant annually reduces oil consumption by 862,000 barrels and carbon dioxide emissions by 315,000 tons.

The birth of the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant, recently gaining attention as a clean energy source, dates back to the 1990s. Sihwa Lake was created in 1985 through freshwater conversion to provide agricultural water for nearby residents. In 1994, the water quality of Sihwa Lake was severely polluted due to large-scale contaminants from nearby industrial complexes, with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) reaching 17.4 PPM, earning it the nickname "lake of death." Eventually, in 2000, the government abandoned the freshwater conversion plan and decided to purify the polluted lake by introducing seawater. In 2002, the construction of a power plant utilizing tidal power during seawater inflow was confirmed, and construction began in 2004, completing in 2011 after seven years.

Each turbine draws in 482,000 liters of seawater per second and generates electricity by utilizing a 5.8-meter tidal drop. The size of one turbine is 19.3 meters in length, 61.1 meters in width, and 35 meters in height. The turbine blades alone have a diameter of 7.5 meters, making it a massive generator. Daewoo Construction, which was responsible for the construction at the time, reportedly used an innovative method by applying a coating thickness of over 135 mm to ensure 100 years of durability. The effect of the Sihwa Lake tidal power generation exceeded expectations. Approximately 160 million tons of water move daily through the sluice gates and turbines, leading to successful water quality improvement in Sihwa Lake. The lake inside the embankment, previously used as freshwater, now has a COD level of about 2 PPM, practically achieving water quality equivalent to the sea. Electricity production has also steadily increased. The plant developed its own optimal tidal timing measurement system to maximize production. After achieving 100 million kWh of power generation in 2012, it surpassed 4.8 billion kWh of power supply by the end of last year.

The area near the tidal power plant is currently establishing a green hydrogen demonstration facility and promoting demonstration projects for hydrogen energy production using solar power, wind power, and water electrolysis facilities, striving to build a renewable energy cluster. The cluster plans short-term projects such as creating fuel cell and biomass complexes and eco-friendly energy towns. It is already engaged in energy development through the Environmental Energy Center and the Offshore Solar Power Research Center. The region is also actively developing tourist complexes utilizing the surrounding environment. As Daebu-do gains recognition as a West Coast attraction, the number of tourists visiting the power plant observatory continues to increase. The Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant is currently reviewing plans to expand with four additional turbines and six sluice gates.

Joo In-ho, head of the Sihwa Tidal Power Management Group, said, "The power plant is a representative example of clean, renewable marine energy, boasting the world's largest facility capacity and green energy production," adding, "We will continuously produce infinite clean energy to provide a clean waterfront space and cultural area."