Saemangeum Promoted as a Carbon Neutral Hub with Smart Waterfront City and Solar Power Initiatives

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a groundbreaking ceremony on the 18th for the Saemangeum Smart Waterfront City, Onshore Solar Power Pilot Project, and Smart Green Industrial Complex together with the Saemangeum Development Agency. They plan to quickly develop Saemangeum as a hub for carbon neutrality and the Green New Deal.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Smart Waterfront City and Smart Green Industrial Complex was held at the Gunsan Saemangeum Convention Center in Jeonbuk, attended by about 50 people including Kim Hyun-mi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Yang Chung-mo, Administrator of Saemangeum Development Agency; So Soon-yeol, Chairman of the Saemangeum Committee's private sector; Song Ha-jin, Governor of Jeonbuk Province; local National Assembly members from Jeonbuk; Saemangeum Development Corporation and Korea Rural Community Corporation officials; Jin Woo-sam, Chairman of the Korea RE100 Committee; representatives from Namdong Power and related project personnel.

This project aims to create a self-sufficient city with an area of 6.6㎢ (2 million pyeong) and a resident population of about 25,000 in the Saemangeum International Cooperation Land area. With a total project cost of approximately 1.3 trillion KRW, Saemangeum Development Corporation plans to complete land reclamation and site preparation by 2024.

The Smart Waterfront City aims to apply smart and eco-friendly energy technologies to the city, creating a city that combines advanced industry attraction with jobs and a pleasant waterfront residential environment. The land use plan divides the area into seven key zones connected by park and green corridors, and to highlight the waterfront city's characteristics, three differentiated lakes are arranged.

This project completed the establishment of the project implementer, Saemangeum Development Corporation, in 2018 and the preliminary feasibility study in 2019.

The Onshore Solar Power Pilot Project involves Saemangeum Hope Solar Power, the power generation company, installing solar power facilities (about 0.1GW) on the eastern site (1.15㎢, 350,000 pyeong) of the Saemangeum Industrial Research Land and operating them for 20 years. The project is underway with the goal of starting power generation in 2022.

The Onshore Solar Power Pilot Project is the first project to break ground since President Moon Jae-in declared Saemangeum as the "Center of Renewable Energy in Korea" at the Saemangeum Renewable Energy Vision Proclamation Ceremony in October 2018.

The Saemangeum Smart Green Industrial Complex targets the 5th and 6th sections (3.7㎢, 1.12 million pyeong) of the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex and plans to develop an industrial complex that implements RE100 by utilizing the world's largest scale of abundant renewable energy (3GW) produced in Saemangeum.

RE100 (Renewable Energy 100%) is a voluntary campaign where companies pledge to procure 100% of their electricity consumption from renewable energy.

Accordingly, the project will begin land development starting with the faster-paced 5th section of the industrial complex, prepare the Smart Green Industrial Complex master plan within next year, and proceed with infrastructure development and other follow-up procedures in 2022.

A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official said, "With the opening of the Saemangeum East-West Road and the SK investment agreement on November 24, the Saemangeum project is progressing rapidly. We plan to actively expand the achievements of the Smart Green Industrial Complex throughout Saemangeum and realize the Saemangeum area as a hub for the Green New Deal and carbon neutrality based on abundant renewable energy."

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