Gwangju City Holds 'Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant Investment Agreement and Groundbreaking Ceremony'

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On the afternoon of the 10th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant Investment Agreement and Groundbreaking Ceremony held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center Multipurpose Hall in Seo-gu. He took a commemorative photo with guests including Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Kim Yong-jip, Chairman of the Gwangju City Council, Jang Hwi-guk, Superintendent of Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, the heads of five districts, and Park Hyung-gu, President of Korea Midland Power Co. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City has taken a strong start toward realizing a carbon-neutral energy self-sufficient city by 2045, the first of its kind nationwide, through the first private-sector attraction of the Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal.

On the afternoon of the 10th, Gwangju City held the ‘Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant Investment Agreement and Groundbreaking Ceremony’ at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center with Korea Midland Power, SK Gas, Doosan Construction, and SK Securities.

About 50 people attended the event, including Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop, Vice Minister Park Jin-gyu of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Midland Power President Park Hyung-gu, Doosan Construction President Kim Jin-ho, SK Gas President Yoon Byung-seok, SK Securities President Kim Shin, National Assembly members Yoon Young-duk and Min Hyung-bae, Gwangju City Council Chairman Kim Yong-jip and council members, and other key local figures.

The ‘Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant’ is attracting attention as the world’s first domestic ‘Green New Deal’ model applying the LPG-LNG dual system.

Previously, solar power, which was noted as a renewable energy source, occupied a large area, damaged the landscape, and was difficult to install in urban areas, with limited power generation capacity.

However, hydrogen fuel cell power generation requires only one-fiftieth the installation area of solar power, produces less noise, and has superior power generation efficiency.

In particular, while solar power generation depends on sunlight and operates for about 4 hours a day, hydrogen fuel cells can operate 24 hours without restriction.

Following strict COVID-19 quarantine rules, the event proceeded in the order of the national anthem, Green New Deal video screening, introduction of the Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant, presentation of the Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal, congratulatory remarks by the Prime Minister, investment agreement, and a groundbreaking site performance using drones.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in his congratulatory speech, “The hydrogen economy is the key driving force leading the 21st-century global economy, and South Korea stands at the forefront of it,” adding, “The hydrogen economy will become a new driving force leading Gwangju’s future.”

He also stated, “We will not spare policies and budgets and will invest sufficiently and intensively so that the Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant can lead and drive the renewable energy industry.”

Mayor Lee Yong-seop presented the ‘Progress of the Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal’ and said, “The success condition of the Gwangju-type AI Green New Deal is the realization of citizen-led green decentralization where the electricity I use is produced by myself.” He added, “113 citizen and social organizations operate a citizen-centered implementation system through Climate Crisis Emergency Action, and the city council formed a ‘Green New Deal Special Committee’ to actively support policies and budgets. The local community is united to help the success of the Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal.”

He emphasized, “The ‘Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant,’ whose groundbreaking ceremony is held today, will become a core driving force for eco-friendly energy transition, realize the 2045 Gwangju energy self-sufficient city, and serve as a model case of a region-led New Deal that concretely implements the Korean Green New Deal.”

Following this, Gwangju City signed an investment agreement with Korea Midland Power, SK Gas, Doosan Construction, and SK Securities for the construction of the ‘Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant,’ Gwangju’s first hydrogen fuel power plant and the first private-sector attraction of the Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal.

Through this agreement, the entire project cost of 81.5 billion KRW will be covered by private capital.

Park Hyung-gu, President of Korea Midland Power, said, “The heat generated from the fuel cells will be supplied to 26 facilities including Gwangju City Hall and the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center, as well as 480 apartment units.” He added, “This is a very meaningful project that replaces fossil fuels emitting carbon and fine dust with eco-friendly energy.”

He also stated, “Based on a solid partnership with Gwangju City, we will actively respond to the hydrogen economy revitalization and Green New Deal policies through hydrogen fuel cells, renewable energy expansion, and hydrogen production, and strive to contribute to regional economic revitalization through job creation and collaboration with local companies.”

The ‘Bitgoeul Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant,’ to be built as Gwangju’s first hydrogen fuel power plant, is an eco-friendly power plant with a capacity of 12.3MW, constructed on 11 vacant lots totaling 15,843㎡ at Gwangju City’s first sewage treatment plant site.

Upon completion in August next year, it will produce 95,000 MWh of electricity annually, equivalent to 1.1% of the city’s total annual power consumption, enough to supply about 33,000 households.

Compared to existing thermal power plants, it is expected to save 5,359 TOE of energy annually, reduce 12,588 tons of greenhouse gases, and purify the air by removing fine dust, providing clean air for about 130,000 adults to breathe.

Gwangju City has designated this year as the inaugural year of becoming an energy self-sufficient city and is steadily preparing initiatives such as launching the ‘2030 Corporate RE100 Promotion Council,’ soon establishing the ‘Carbon Neutral City Promotion Committee,’ citizen-led ‘Citizen Solar Power Plants,’ and creating energy transition village base centers in five autonomous districts.

Additionally, to achieve the nation’s first major transition to a decarbonized clean city, Gwangju plans to actively implement eight major tasks including realizing citizen-led green decentralization and strengthening climate-safe green infrastructure, alongside three major strategies: ‘Green Transition City,’ ‘Climate Safe City,’ and ‘Green Industry City.’

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