Construction Begins on Gongju Natural Gas Power Plant... Will Supply Electricity for 200,000 Households Annually

Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for 500MW Power Plant
in Namgongju General Industrial Complex

Choi Wancheol, mayor of Gongju, is delivering a greeting at the groundbreaking ceremony of Korea Western Power's Gongju Cheonyeong Gas Power Plant held at Namgongju General Industrial Complex. / Gongju City

The city of Gongju, Chungnam, announced on the 3rd that the groundbreaking ceremony for Korea Western Power's "Gongju Natural Gas Power Plant" was held on the 2nd at the Namgongju General Industrial Complex.

Korea Western Power plans to invest approximately 681.2 billion KRW to build a 500-megawatt (MW) natural gas power plant on a 103,000-square-meter site within the Namgongju General Industrial Complex by April 2027. This facility will replace Unit 2 of the Taean Power Headquarters and is large enough to supply electricity to 200,000 households annually.

Korea Western Power is currently working on converting six out of ten coal-fired power units at the Taean Power Headquarters to liquefied natural gas (LNG) generation, and the construction of the Gongju Natural Gas Power Plant is part of this eco-friendly energy transition.

The city of Gongju expects that the new power plant will enable a stable electricity supply amid steadily increasing demand due to the growth of industrial and agricultural complexes.

The electricity produced at the power plant will be supplied primarily to the Gongju area, with some also meeting the power needs of the Daejeon and Chungcheong regions.

In addition, the construction of the power plant is expected to create about 150,000 jobs, and power generation support funds will be provided to residents in the vicinity of the plant, contributing to the revitalization of the local economy.

Comprehensive measures for environmental and safety management have also been established.

Korea Western Power has identified the optimal combustion point that reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to below 4ppm, the lowest level in Chungnam, during gas turbine commissioning.

To prevent safety accidents, the company plans to introduce a real-time on-site monitoring system and digitize various safety-related documents, applying state-of-the-art intelligent safety technologies.

Mayor Choi Woncheol stated, "The Gongju Natural Gas Power Plant will play a pivotal role in advancing local industries and industrial complexes. We will work together with Korea Western Power to boost the local economy and create jobs, striving to establish the plant as a facility that coexists with the community."

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