Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station

Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station
Location of Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea
Country South Korea
Location Sihwa Lake, Gyeonggi Province
Coordinates 37°18′47″N 126°36′46″E / 37.31306°N 126.61278°E / 37.31306; 126.61278Coordinates: 37°18′47″N 126°36′46″E / 37.31306°N 126.61278°E / 37.31306; 126.61278
Status Operational
Opening date August 4, 2011[1]
Construction cost ₩313.5 billion
Owner(s) Korea Water Resources Corporation
Power station
Type Tidal barrage
Turbines 10 × 25.4 MW
Installed capacity 254 MW
Capacity factor 24.8%
Annual generation 552 GWh[2]

Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station is the world's largest tidal power installation, with a total power output capacity of 254 MW, surpassing the 240 MW Rance Tidal Power Station which was the world's largest for 45 years prior to 2011. It is operated by the Korea Water Resources Corporation.

The tidal barrage makes use of a seawall constructed in 1994 for flood mitigation and agricultural purposes. Ten 25.4 MW submerged bulb turbines are driven in an unpumped flood generation scheme; power is generated on tidal inflows only and the outflow is sluiced away. This slightly unconventional and relatively inefficient approach has been chosen to balance a complex mix of existing land use, water use, conservation, environmental and power generation considerations.[3][4]

The tidal power station provides indirect environmental benefits as well as renewable energy generation. After the seawall was built, pollution built up in the newly created Sihwa Lake reservoir, making its water useless for agriculture. In 2004, seawater was reintroduced in the hope of flushing out contamination; inflows from the tidal barrage are envisaged as a complementary permanent solution.[3]

Cost of the project was met by the South Korean Government, totalling 313.5 billion won (£180 million, or $US293 million, roughly $1m per MW).[5] Mean operating tidal range is 5.6 m (18 ft), with a spring tidal range of 7.8 m (26 ft). The working basin area was originally intended to be 43 km2 (17 sq mi)[6] although this has been reduced by land reclamation and freshwater dykes to 30 km2 (12 sq mi) and is likely to be reduced further.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2939763 Turning tides
  2. ↑ "TIDAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY BRIEF" (PDF). International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 http://www.eer.wustl.edu/McDonnellMayWorkshop/Presentation_files/Saturday/Saturday/Park.pdf Sihwa Tidal Power Plant: a success of environment and energy policy in Korea
  4. ↑ http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?sc=2052179 Tidal power primed for breakthrough
  5. ↑ http://www.newsworld.co.kr/cont/article2009/0909-52.htm Hunt for African Projects
  6. ↑ http://www.oreg.ca/docs/May%20Symposium/KOREA.pdf Tidal and Tidal Current Power Study in Korea
  7. ↑ http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=150499 Ansan City's Bandalseom Project at Lake Sihwa taking shape

References

World’s Largest Tidal Power Plant–Shihwa Lake in Korea http://energy.korea.com/archives/6887

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