"Prevent Landslides"... Solar Power Construction Becomes More Stringent and Existing Facilities Undergo Detailed Inspections

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Korea Forest Service Announce 'Measures to Strengthen Safety Management of Mountain Solar Power Facilities'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] From now on, installing mountain solar power generation facilities with a capacity of 500 kW or more will require a technical review of design appropriateness and other factors. The government also plans to conduct detailed inspections over the next three years on existing solar power facilities with disaster risks.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Forest Service announced on the 20th that they have prepared a "Plan to Strengthen Safety Management of Mountain Solar Power Generation Facilities." This follows 6,175 landslides nationwide caused by the longest rainy season and heavy rains on record this year, among which 27 mountain solar power facilities suffered soil runoff damage.

This safety management strengthening plan categorizes mountain solar power into three areas: ▲existing installed facilities ▲unrestored completed facilities ▲newly entering facilities, and was prepared considering the characteristics and safety management shortcomings of each area.

First, a "Mountain Safety Inspection Team (tentative name)" will be established within mountain-specialized organizations such as the Mountain Conservation Association to conduct detailed inspections on disaster-risk facilities over the next three years.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to revise the Mountain Management Act next year to provide grounds for entrusting investigation, inspection, and examination to mountain-specialized organizations, and select 300 sites requiring continuous management through a full survey of mountain solar power.

They will actively utilize the system of deploying electrical safety managers based on the Electric Utility Act to strengthen safety management activities of solar power generation facilities.

In addition, if operation of Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) facilities is suspended due to natural disasters, fires, etc., reporting will be made mandatory to enhance the responsibility of power generation operators.

The timing and scope of the periodic inspection conducted every four years will also be improved. Periodic inspections will be conducted before the rainy season of that year, and the inspections, which have focused on electrical equipment, will be improved to comprehensive inspections including maintenance and management of the power plant site.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Disaster prevention management will also be strengthened during the construction phase of solar power facilities, focusing on building safe facilities through thorough completion inspections.

During the construction of mountain solar power, the mountain permit authority will strengthen investigation, inspection, and examination of sites requiring disaster prevention to prevent soil runoff and landslides. If necessary, disaster prevention measures will be ordered to enhance safety, and legal actions such as compulsory execution will be actively pursued if not complied with.

Currently, restoration completion inspections rely on visual inspections by responsible officials, which has been insufficient in confirming proper construction of buried sections.

Accordingly, construction photos and material certificates of buried drainage pipes, stone walls, and backfill behind retaining walls, which are difficult to confirm due to burial, will be required to be submitted at the time of completion inspection application to strengthen inspection of proper construction according to restoration design and permit standards.

For new facilities, a technical review system by specialized institutions (Korea Electrical Safety Corporation) on design appropriateness before construction plan reporting will be introduced for facilities of 500 kW or more.

Until now, only facilities of 10 MW or more underwent technical review by the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation before approval by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Local governments responsible for construction plan reporting of facilities under 10 MW have faced limitations in applying safety standards and conducting technical reviews on design appropriateness due to lack of expertise and manpower.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to revise the Enforcement Rules of the Electric Utility Act by the first half of next year to expand the scope of technical review.

The submission target for disaster risk review opinion letters when applying for temporary mountain use permits will be expanded from the current 20,000㎡ or more to all cases. This is because 12 of the 27 mountain solar power damage cases occurred at sites smaller than 20,000㎡. The Ministry plans to expand the submission target through revision of the Enforcement Rules of the Mountain Management Act in the first half of next year.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Forest Service stated, "We will cooperate to ensure that follow-up measures of this safety management strengthening plan are implemented without delay." They added, "We will continue efforts to build and operate environmentally friendly and safe facilities so that sustainable renewable energy expansion can be achieved while minimizing side effects."

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