Gyeongbuk Province Secures 21 Billion KRW in National Funding for Renewable Energy Convergence Support ... 13% of National Total

14 Si·Gun Finally Selected... Record High Achievements in Renewable Energy Contest Projects

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] Gyeongbuk Province announced that 14 city and county projects, the highest number ever, were finally selected in the '2021 Renewable Energy Convergence Support Public Contest' hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, securing 21 billion KRW in national funding.

Out of the total national funding scale of 156.6 billion KRW, Gyeongbuk Province secured 13%, which is the largest scale ever.

This project involves installing various renewable energy sources such as solar power, solar heat, and geothermal energy in a converged manner according to energy demand for all buildings including houses, commercial buildings, and public facilities within a designated area. About 80% of the cost is supported by national and local funds, and building owners only need to bear about 20%.

To apply for this public contest, Gyeongbuk Province held project briefing sessions for cities and counties and planned projects that reflect regional characteristics together with residents, discovering 14 projects through thorough six months of prior preparation. After applying on June 12, the projects were all selected by receiving recognition for their differentiated excellence during the three months of public and on-site evaluations, achieving a remarkable success.

In particular, since 2014 starting with Ulleung-gun, Gyeongbuk Province has invested a total of 94.1 billion KRW (44.1 billion KRW in national funds) in 7,998 locations up to this year, establishing an energy self-reliant village base that contributes to reducing residents' energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The 14 projects selected this time will invest a total of 45 billion KRW in 4,925 locations starting next year. The selected cities and counties are Pohang, Gyeongju, Gimcheon, Andong, Gumi, Mungyeong, Gunwi, Uiseong, Yeongyang, Yeongdeok, Cheongdo, Goryeong, Yecheon, and Bonghwa.

Looking at the energy-saving effect through the spread of renewable energy, a household with a monthly electricity usage of 350 kWh can save about 500,000 KRW annually on electricity bills by installing a 3 kW solar power generation facility. The resulting greenhouse gas reduction is equivalent to planting 14 pine trees. Through this project, an annual energy cost reduction of 3.7 billion KRW, a greenhouse gas reduction of 12,000 tons of CO2, and the effect of 88,000 pine trees are expected.

Kim Han-su, Director of the East Coast Strategic Industry Bureau, explained, "The Renewable Energy Convergence Support Project is one of the core tasks of the government's Green New Deal policy. While residents' self-pay is low, it can greatly reduce electricity and heating/cooling costs, making it a project with very high interest and satisfaction among local residents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.