Government Strengthens Safety Management of Mountain Solar Power... Annual Special Inspections Conducted

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Announces 'Special Measures for Safety Management of Mountain-area Solar Power'

Solar Power Plants. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Junhyung] The government is strengthening safety management for mountain solar power installations. This comes amid growing concerns that some recent landslides caused by heavy rainfall are not unrelated to mountain solar power facilities.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the "Special Measures for Safety Management of Mountain Solar Power" on the 21st. The target of this measure is 15,220 mountain solar power installations nationwide. The ministry prepared this plan due to increasing concerns about mountain solar power following a series of landslides caused by recent heavy rains.

The ministry will first designate 20% (about 3,000) of the mountain solar power installations nationwide as special management targets. These specially managed mountain solar power facilities will be required to undergo regular inspections or special safety checks by the ministry annually starting next year.

To enhance the effectiveness of landslide prevention, the ministry also plans to complete special inspections before the summer season, when rainfall is concentrated. Considering landslide risk levels and accident history, the ministry intends to select mountain solar power installations requiring special management by October. Special inspections are expected to begin as early as the fourth quarter of this year.

For mountain solar power installations not subject to special management, the regular inspection cycle will be significantly shortened from four years to two years. Additionally, to prepare for landslides and other risks, the ministry plans to reinforce the civil engineering experts at the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, the inspection agency for mountain solar power, to enhance the professionalism of safety inspections.

Safety regulations related to mountain solar power will also be strengthened. The ministry decided to suspend the issuance of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) if mountain solar power operators fail to comply with safety measures from inspection agencies such as the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation. It will also pursue legal amendments to allow suspension of power trading if operators refuse or evade regular inspections or fail to repair non-compliant equipment.

The ministry will establish a "Mountain Solar Power Safety Management Database." This database is expected to include information such as site slope, landslide risk, inspection and damage history, and safety facility details for mountain solar power installations nationwide.

A ministry official stated, "We also plan to prepare a 'Safety Management Manual' containing safety management and inspection checklists specialized for mountain solar power." He added, "We will consider introducing accident insurance to support damage recovery through compensation in case of facility-related damages."

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