Tidal-power plant to be world's largest

Korea Water Resources Corp. announced yesterday it would build the world's largest tidal-power plant in Sihwa Ho, Gyeonggi province, bordering the West Sea.

The company, however, did not specify when construction of the 252,000 kilowatt plant would be completed.

"It will take 294 billion won ($250 million) to construct the plant," a company official said.

"Electric power will be generated by the incoming tide when the water-level reaches 5.64 meters."

He said water would be discharged during the ebb.

The company's official said the plant was expected to generate 550 million kilowatts of electricity a year, substituting for nearly a million barrels of oil. Korea imports about 2.5 million barrels of oil a day.

"The total production of electricity at the tidal plant will amount to about 28 billion won each year," the official said.

Sihwa Ho is one of the largest tidal lakes in Korea, but has been severely polluted since the nation's economic development drive started in the 1970s.

Korea Water Resources said the plant would improve the lake by circulating 60 billion tons of seawater annually.

"Water at Sihwa will be as clean as the deep sea while the power plant operates," predicted Shin Hang-sik, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

by Shin Hye-kyung