The groundbreaking ceremony to build the world’s first underground thermal power plant in Seoul by 2016 was held on Friday, according to state-run Korea Midland Power Corp.
The LNG-powered Seoul Thermoelectric Power Plant in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, will be relocated and reconstructed below ground by September 2016 before its would-be 2017 retirement. The plant site above ground will be transformed into a cultural and sports complex for citizens, the power generation firm said in a press release, adding the project would cost 1.2 trillion won.
According to KOMIPO, hydroelectric power plants or small thermal power plants have been built underground, but this will be the first time for a large thermal power plant to be built underground.
The project was developed in response to strong resistance to reconstruction for the past seven years from citizens living near the plant against its reconstruction plan.
The 400-megawatt underground thermal power plant will have two power generators and supply electricity to 100,000 households in the capital, KOMIPO said.
By Seo Jee-yeon (
jyseo@heraldcorp.com)
