[AirUP, On Site] Plum Blossom Blocks Blooming on Water, Sprouting Eco-Friendly Energy

'Korea's Largest' Hapcheon Floating Solar Power Plant
Generating Power from Panels Covering Area of 65 Soccer Fields
Electricity Surplus Enough for Hapcheon Residents' One Year Use
Economic Efficiency Secured with Safe Materials
Installation Cost Reduction Remains Future Task

A panoramic view of the largest floating solar power plant in South Korea, located in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam. The total area of the power plant is 466,800㎡, equivalent to the size of 65 soccer fields, and it is installed in 17 lotus-shaped blocks spaced at regular intervals.

Hapcheonho Dock located in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province. If you take a boat and travel about 5 km upstream of the dam, thousands of solar modules (panels) aligned in rows on the water come into view. Even on a relatively cool day in late March, the vast shimmering heat waves rising from the black modules make it clear that this is the largest floating solar power plant in Korea.

The total area of the floating solar power plant constructed on Hapcheonho is 466,800㎡, equivalent to the size of 65 soccer fields combined. A total of 92,160 450Wp (watt-peak) floating solar-specific modules were installed. The total power generation capacity is 41.5 MW, capable of supplying 56,388 MWh of electricity annually. This amount of power can serve 60,000 people, which exceeds the entire population of Hapcheon-gun (about 43,000 residents) for a whole year.

The Hapcheonho solar power plant is composed of 17 blocks shaped like plum blossoms, spaced at regular intervals. Reflecting the opinions of local residents, each block was designed in the shape of the plum blossom, a symbol of Hapcheon-gun. Each block contains 5,760 solar modules. The electricity generated here is transmitted underwater via cables beneath the lake to the transmission towers. Although installing transmission cables above the water would be more cost-effective, this measure was taken considering the overall aesthetics of the power plant and the movement of residents' boats.

Stepping on the floating body, I got off the boat. It was firmly fixed, allowing movement without shaking. The floating body is one of the key underwater facilities that secure the solar modules on the water in a floating solar power plant. Since Hapcheonho is used as drinking water and agricultural water by nearby residents, using eco-friendly materials is crucial. As a facility in contact with the lake, it must prevent water pollution in advance. The Korea Water Resources Corporation, which undertook the project, researched the appropriate size and shape of the floating body and adopted polyethylene material that can be assembled like rectangular Lego blocks. This material is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food containers. The equipment used in this power plant also passed the ‘Water Supply Material Hygiene Safety Standards,’ which are more than ten times stricter than drinking water quality standards. The floating body must also serve as a stable support for the solar modules. An Jae-hoo, Head of Operations at Hapcheon Dam Branch of the Nakdong River Basin Headquarters, said, "It demonstrated stability by withstanding a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 36 m/s during the northward approach of Typhoon Bolaven in 2012."

Ahn Jae-hoo, Head of Operations at Hapcheon Dam Branch of Nakdong River Basin Headquarters, is explaining the overview of the solar power project and the electricity production structure at the Hapcheon Floating Solar Power Plant on the 28th.

The greatest advantage of Hapcheon Dam’s floating solar power is that it supplies electricity using eco-friendly renewable energy. It can reduce 30 tons of fine dust and 26,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually, which are generated by coal-fired power plants. Additionally, the water surface provides a cooling effect, increasing energy efficiency by about 5% compared to land-based solar power plants.

However, the process until the Hapcheon floating solar power plant officially began commercial operation in November last year was far from smooth. Since the Korea Water Resources Corporation started building Korea’s first demonstration floating solar facility on Hapcheonho in 2011, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hapcheon-gun in 2015 for full-scale development. After that, the project stalled for about three years due to opposition from nearby residents and fishermen. The project gained momentum in 2019 when the solar power business structure was changed to a community participation model. About 1,400 residents from 20 nearby villages formed a community and invested approximately 3.1 billion KRW in the facility. They will receive investment returns worth up to 300 million KRW annually, which is 10% of the investment, for 20 years. The Ministry of Environment has set a goal to expand the solar power facilities on Hapcheonho to 20.1 MW by 2030 to strengthen carbon neutrality.

Of course, challenges remain to sustain the project. One drawback is the high installation cost. It costs about 1.5 million KRW more per kW than land-based solar facilities, and construction costs are about 1.5 times higher, making the development of materials and components for cost reduction essential. Continuous consultation with local residents is also necessary to maintain project viability. The corporation is reportedly considering creating Olle trails and cultural spaces around Hapcheonho for this purpose. The Korea Water Resources Corporation said, "We will create new tourist resources through design development that reflects local characteristics, operate regional welfare facilities using profits, and establish a sustainable local community foundation through scholarship projects and other initiatives."