Korea’s President Moon Jae-in has made a pledge that by the year 2030 over 20 % of Korea’s electricity should be generated through renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic, wind and water power.
Jeollanamdo is actively conducting projects to foster the renewable energy industry, by utilizing its natural environment and industrial conditions. The province’s environmental conditions, like the largest amount of sunshine in Korea, the abundance of wind, and the rapid ocean currents, are very good for wind, photovoltaic and tidal power.
- Jeollanamdo also has the first energy-related academic-industry research hub in Korea, the Bitgaram Energy Valley. The Bitgaram Innovation City, Korea’s largest energy and ICT convergence industrial city, is equipped with different supporting systems for tenant companies including R&D. More about the Bitgaram Energy Valley here.
- KEPCO, the Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea’s largest energy company moved their headquarter to Jeollanamdo, to the Energy Valley.
- KEPCO plans to build an energy focused university called KEPCO Tech in Jeollanamdo. The university is scheduled to open in March 2022 and students will be focusing energy engineering.
- Daily average quantity of solar radiation in Jeollanamdo: 3.89 kWh/㎡, 7% higher than the nationwide average of 3.63 kWh/㎡
- Wind power: 19 GW, approx. 19.3% of the nation’s 96.7 GW (and there is infinite potential for the growth of offshore wind power generation (at least 60% of the nation’s potential offshore wind power))
- Ocean energy (currents): approx. 9.6 GW, about 80% of the nation’s 12 GW
As Jeollanamdo has the longest coastline of all Korean provinces, it also proves to have the highest potential for offshore windparks. Since 2010 Jeollanamdo has more than tripled its Wind Power generation capacity from 373 MW in 2010 up to 1490 MW in 2019.
And only the Offshore Wind Energy Potential is in theory over 445 GWh.
