[Yonhap News Photo]
South Korea's first offshore wind power system will be put into operation this week off the southern resort island of Jeju, using three wind driven generators capable of producing electricity for 7,000 homes.
The system built by Korea South-East Power Co. and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. will be operated from Thursday off Dumori west of Jeju City. The two companies plan to build seven more generators by September next year.
The generators were mounted on iron towers standing 80 meters above the water with their wings stretching 91.3 meters in diameter.
Under a clean energy project to become a carbon-free island by 2030, Jeju, which is one of South Korea's most popular tourist destinations, plans to step up the construction of offshore wind power generators in other places. The island has spearheaded a national campaign to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through the fast introduction of electric cars.
From 2018, South Korea would invest more than 40 trillion won (36 billion US dollars) in renewable and clean energy such as solar and wind power generators.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
