By Habib Toumi

ANSAN CITY

The common view across the globe is that power plants are associated with degrading the environment and spoiling the aesthetics of their surroundings.

But, such a view does not stand in the Republic of Korea where the Sihwa Tidal Power Plant (TPP) has, to the contrary of the generally-held view, in fact improved its environment and enhanced its surroundings making it particularly attractive to the public and safer for millions of birds.

From the 75-meter-high observatory overlooking the Sihwa TBPP, we have an amazing view of the setting for the Sihwa Lake project and the world’s largest operating tidal power station: the 254 MW Sihwa Lake project.

From high in the air, the barrage that houses the 400-meter-long tidal power plant looks like a soft thread stretched across the vast sea.

However, the facts on the ground are a massive tribute to a marvel of Korean engineering made to reap energy from the highest tides in the West Sea.

In terms of figures, the Sihwa lake tidal power plant helps boost Korea’s energy self-sufficiency through the green energy development. It can supply electricity to a population of 500,000, cut down petroleum imports by 862,000 barrels per year, and reduce the generation of CO2 by 315,000 tons per year.

In simple terms, the Sihwa tidal power plant generates power by storing water during the flow, and releasing it during the ebb. It relies on the change in water level between ebb and flow to generate power.

The Sihwa Lake project changed a nightmare into a dream thanks to Korea’s western coast boasting winding rias, numerous inlets and tidal ranges of up to 9 meters, providing a perfect setting for tidal power generation and a rich repository of tidal energy resources.

According to the tour guide and experts’ reports, South Korea in 1994 created the 56.5-square-kilometer (km2) freshwater Lake Sihwa by constructing a 12.7-km dike between Oido Island in Siheung city and Daebudo Island in Ansan city to secure agricultural and irrigation water, and to reclaim 173 km2 of land near the local metropolitan areas of three cities surrounding the lake.

However, after the seawall was closed and the natural tidal currents were cut off, water quality deteriorated. This was due to a combination of factors, including low natural freshwater inflows and the increase of wastewater from the industrial complexes.

The pollution severely contaminated the basin and made it unusable as a freshwater reservoir, as intended. By 1997, officials reformulated their plans, and the government transitioned Sihwa’s operating strategy from a freshwater to a seawater lake by periodically opening up the seawall’s sluice gates to flush the basin by circulating seawater in an effort to improve the water quality.

South Korean governmental water authority Korea Water Resources Corp. (then KOWACO, and recently renamed K-water) stepped in and proposed a tidal power barrage that uses a single-effect flood generation method and allows up to 60 billion tons of seawater to be circulated annually.

As tidal energy generation gained increasing attention as a strategy in the early 21st century to counter rising international oil prices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the government saw an opportunity as tidal power offers strong advantages in comparison with other renewable sources, such as its periodicity and long-term predictability of tidal patterns.

By December 2002, the project was approved, and in 2004, construction began. Seven years later, in December 2011, K-water’s Sihwa Lake tidal power plant was connected to the grid, equipped with 10 bulb-type generator units (each 25.4 MW) that produce about 552.7 GWh annually.

The plant is housed in the concrete seawall that bridges two “eco-park” areas. One half of the bridge is taken up by the 10 generating units, and the other half, by eight culvert-type sluice gates.

Read: Korea reclaims 1600 ha land by dumping waste into West Sea

The tidal units essentially produce power by exploiting the gap in the water level between the sea and Lake Sihwa.

As the tide rises, saltwater flows through the turbines from the Yellow Sea and into Lake Sihwa, creating electricity. But at low tide, the gates are raised and the turbines revert to sluicing mode, allowing the lake to be emptied and no electricity to be produced.

The Sihwa tidal power plant generates one-way power twice a day at high tide.

With ten water turbine generators each with an installed capacity of 25.4 MW, the power plant produces 552.7 GWh of electricity annually – enough to support the domestic needs of a city with a population of 500,000. It is also equivalent to 862,000 barrels of oil.

The site has become very popular for learning about lively ecosystems, with over 146 bird species including stork and mallard, and some 23 million birds living in and around the lake.

The Sihwa embankment, 12.7 km long, is also a popular spot for leisure activities and sports. The tidal power station and surrounding area today attract some 1.5 million people annually.

Based on the success of the Sihwa tidal power plant and the utilization of large tides by K-water, the Korean governmental water authority, other companies in South Korea have taken the impulse to plan new tidal power plants in the West Sea off the country’s western coast.

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Courtesy: The AsiaN, Seoul, South Korea

The post Tidal Power Plant: Korea’s Renewable Energy Wonder first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Karachi

Engro Energy Limited (EEL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC) and the Directorate of Alternate Energy (DAE), to establish a renewable energy park at Jhimpir in Thatta district that will provide electricity to industry at Port-Qasim and Dhabeji.

Under the terms of the MoU, Engro will be responsible to build the first hybrid solar PV and Wind Park in the country whereas STDC and DAE will be responsible for laying the transmission network and facilitate the provision of required land for the project, respectively.

The MoU jointly spearheaded by the Government of Sindh was witnessed by Provincial Minister for Energy, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Ghias Khan, President Engro Corporation; Ahsan Zafar Syed, CEO Engro Energy, Muhammad Saleem Shaikh, CEO STDC and others.

The MoU was signed by Shahab Qader – CEO Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited (EPQL), Imtiaz Ali Shah – Director DAE and Muhammad Saleem Shaikh – CEO STDC.

The investment for development of this renewable hybrid wind and solar PV Park in Jhimpir wind corridor is inspired by Engro’s vision to provide economical and reliable power to the industrial cluster of Sindh. The initiative is expected to not only reduce the electricity cost of industrial consumers but also help the Government deliver on its commitment of increasing share of RE in the energy mix to 30% by 2030.

The Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has pledged complete support for this Renewable Energy Park and stated that: “The People’s government has always strived to work on meaningful projects that benefit the common people and the industry. Our robust energy-focused plans, including this RE Park venture is expected to deliver tremendous socio-economic benefits by elevating the stature of the Sindh Province as the industrial & renewable energy hub of Pakistan.”

Provincial Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh appreciated Engro’s trust in the efforts of the Government of Sindh for creating a business-friendly environment and said that: “We are striving to turn Sindh into an energy-abundant province using our indigenous and natural resources. Our success with the Thar Coal project is in line with BB Shaheed’s vision and now the Government of Sindh is focused on developing its renewable energy resources to provide low-cost energy to our industries.”

Speaking on the occasion, President of Engro Corporation Ghias Khan and CEO of Engro Energy Limited Ahsan Zafar Syed discussed the tremendous potential of this project and said, “In the first phase of the project Engro plans to provide upto 400MW of electricity by early 2024 with the potential to increase this generation to 1GW by end of 2029. The 1.2 billion units of Renewable based electricity, generated in this strategic-facility during the first phase will enable import-substitution worth Rs.13 billion per annum. It will also make major contributions towards environmental sustainability, by reducing the CO2 emissions by around 400+ Kilo Tons per annum, which is equivalent to planting 20 million trees.” (PR)

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