- South Korea intends to add about 2.1 GW of floating PV capacity by 2030.
- Five dams; have already been identified for the deployment of the first floating solar arrays.
- Another 2.1 GW floating solar complex is already in construction.
South Korean’s Ministry of Environment has announced plans to add about 2.1 GW of floating solar PV capacity by 2030. The ministry will install the first arrays of floating solar panels at five dams; Hapcheon, Gunwi, Chungju, Soyang River, and Imha. The projects, according to the ministry, will have a cumulative capacity of 147 MW. The government also noted that these projects were already under construction. In November, Korean solar module manufacturer Hanwha Q Cells stated that it is producing floating solar panels for a 41MW project at the Hapcheon dam located in the South Gyeongsang province.
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South Korea’s 2.1 GW floating solar plan is in line with the country’s target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. The country is also constructing a 2.1 GW floating solar complex near the Saemangeum tidal flats on the Yellow Sea coast. The project will cost KRW4.6 trillion ($3.82 billion). Completion of the first phase will see the generation of 1.2 GW by late 2022. The remaining 1.9 GW will be completed by 2025. South Korea is increasingly innovating new solar energy deployment models as the country looks to resolve its land availability challenges.