The Construction of a Tidal Power Plant at Sihwa Lake, Korea

Abstract

The western and southern coasts of Korea are ideal locations for developing tidal current energy due to geographical features, such as ria coasts and strong tides. In order to develop techniques for harnessing tidal energy, field measurements, numerical modeling, and estimations of potential tidal energy were conducted in Lake Sihwa Bay prior to the construction of a tidal power plant. The construction of a 1 MW pilot plant was initiated in April 2006 and completed in 2007. An ongoing study is focused on the commercialization and industrialization of tidal current energy in Korea. Construction of additional power plants is planned at several proposed sites after this technology has been established.