Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has embarked on the construction of a pumped storage power plant for the first time in 14 years. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant, located in the Yanggang and Sangchon areas of Yeongdong County, Chungcheongbuk-do, was held on April 17, marking the official start of the project.
This groundbreaking is significant as it represents the first pumped storage power plant construction since the completion of the Yecheon Pumped Storage Power Plant in 2011. Approximately 350 participants attended the ceremony, including KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho, Director Ahn Se-jin from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Jeong Soo-min, Vice Governor of Chungbuk Province, and Yeongdong County Mayor Jeong Young-cheol, all showing support for the successful progression of the project.
The Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant will be the eighth of its kind to be built in South Korea, with a targeted completion date of 2030. It will consist of two 250 MW generators, totaling a capacity of 500 MW, with a project cost of approximately 1.3377 trillion won. KHNP anticipates that this project will serve as a landmark in the domestic energy sector, as it will be the nation’s first variable-speed pumped storage power plant and the first pumped storage facility constructed directly by KHNP.
Currently, KHNP operates a total of 16 pumped storage power plants across seven locations, including Cheongpyeong, Samrangjin, Muju, Sanchung, Yangyang, Cheongsong, and Yecheon.
KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho stated, “The Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant will serve as a starting point for the transition to a future energy system and will be a critical infrastructure in achieving carbon neutrality and expanding renewable energy.” He emphasized that it will play a pivotal role in strengthening energy security and establishing new power infrastructure.
Pumped storage power plants utilize surplus electricity to lift water from a lower dam to an upper dam and generate electricity by releasing the water when needed. This system can begin generating power in just three minutes, making it a key energy storage solution that addresses the intermittency issues of renewable energy, effectively functioning as the “battery of the power grid.”
