Hanwha to build 100MW floating solar power farm in Dangjin

A consortium led by Hanwha General Chemical has been selected as a preferred bidder by the Korea Rural Community Corporation to build a 100-megawatt floating solar power plant in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, Hanwha Group said Thursday.

The construction of the floating solar power farm is expected to start in 2019 after a series of licensing procedures and begin operations in 2020, Hanwha Group said. The consortium of Hanwha General Chemical and Korea Midland Power will be responsible for constructing 80 percent of the plant capacity, with the KRCC to build the rest. The floating solar power plant will span 1.2 square kilometers of water, it added. 

(Yonhap)

When complete, it will become the world’s largest floating power farm in terms of capacity. The world’s largest floating solar farm is currently a 40-megawatt plant located in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui.

The new solar power plant will also top the capacity of the nation’s biggest solar power plant, in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. The solar power plant in Yeongwol has a capacity of 40 megawatts.

According to Hanwha Group, floating solar plants have benefits of using otherwise unused areas. They can also work more efficiently as the water cools the panels as they generate electricity.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)