The expanded plant will have a 90 megawatt capacity, 90 times what it now has, the ministry said.
The ministry said that with the operation of the extended power plant, the country can save 200,000 barrels of crude oil every year.
The ministry is also conducting feasibility surveys on the sea near Jindo for the site of two additional tidal power plants.
It’s not official, but to our knowledge, it is the second tidal power plant in the world, after the United Kingdom built a tidal power plant in 2008,” said an official at the ministry, requesting anonymity.
“Building a tidal power plant requires high technology, which we think only a few countries have obtained so far.”
According to the official, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has asked to partner with Korea on tidal power technology.
The Korean government believes the Uldolmok Tidal Power Plant is a big stride towards achieving its goal of generating 5,260 gigawatt hours using tidal power by 2020.
“Low-carbon green growth is a solution to the fast depletion of fossil fuel energy and climate change,” said Choi Jang-hyun, land vice minister, during the completion ceremony for the Uldolmok plant.
“That’s the reason we are focused on the development of the sea, which is rich in renewable energy sources,” he added. According to the ministry, Korea is also set to roll out its first wave power plant, equipped with 25.4 kilowatt capacity, in Sihwa, Gyeonggi Province by the second half of 2010.
