Gyeongbuk Province Plans to Build 600MW-Scale Large Solar Power Facilities in Line with New Government Policy

On July 10, Gyeongbuk Province held a strategic meeting at the video conference room of the Eastern Government Complex, with the aim of increasing residents' income, revitalizing the local economy, and fostering the coexistence of agriculture and renewable energy through the "Gyeongbuk-style Solar Pension." The meeting focused on promoting the development of "ultra-large agrivoltaic solar power" projects.

This initiative will first implement a pilot project with a facility capacity of 10MW in cities and counties interested in agrivoltaic solar projects. In the long term, the plan is to establish large-scale power generation facilities of 100MW per complex, ultimately building a total solar power generation capacity of approximately 600MW.

Officials from Gyeongbuk Province and 21 city and county governments gathered in one place for a commemorative photo after concluding the strategic meeting on promoting solar power development projects.

At the strategic meeting, representatives from 21 cities and counties participated and engaged in in-depth discussions on the direction of the project. In particular, there was a wide-ranging discussion on customized commercialization strategies that take into account the characteristics of each city and county, as well as the effects of increasing residents' income and creating jobs, all aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of the project.

Gyeongbuk Province previously announced its plan to introduce agrivoltaic solar power in April last year, providing the basic direction for the project. In cooperation with Yeungnam University, the province is seeking practical commercialization measures by supporting a demonstration project for a standard model of agrivoltaic solar power.

Based on the new government's renewable energy policy, Gyeongbuk Province is formulating strategies for renewable energy projects and expects that supporting farmers' agricultural income and solar pension income will contribute to revitalizing the rural economy.

In addition, the province plans to actively reflect the opinions of cities and counties raised during the meeting and will promptly conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of an "ultra-large agrivoltaic solar power special zone" to secure momentum for the project.

Furthermore, by establishing the agrivoltaic solar power special zone and closely cooperating with central government ministries, the province expects to play a leading role in the development of South Korea's renewable energy industry. This will include proposing amendments to relevant laws and introducing top-tier farmland solar power projects.

Hong Seokpyo, Director of the Energy Industry Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "This ultra-large agrivoltaic solar power project is an important step that goes beyond a simple energy transition, as it creates a new growth engine through the convergence of agriculture and industry. We will continue to actively support agrivoltaic solar projects and develop a 'solar pension project' that allows local residents to fully benefit from solar energy."