The world’s largest fuel cell power plant, capable of powering 130 000 homes, is to be installed in Hwasung City, Gyeonggi Province, Korea.

Samchully Co., POSCO Power Co., Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Co., Gyeonggi Province Government, and Hwasung City exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding for the Gyeonggi Province Renewable Energy Development Project on 7 March.

The 60MW plant, in which a total of 320 billion won will be invested, is scheduled to be built in the Baran Industrial Complex in Hwasung City, Gyeonggi Province. As the first phase of the project, the construction of a 15MW fuel cell plant will start this year and be completed in June 2012. Once completed, a construction of a 45 MW, the second phase of the project, will follow, aiming to complete construction by June 2013.

This power plant will generate annually 464 GWh of electricity and 200 000 Gcal heat, which is 70% of the residential electricity consumption of the city. The annual reduction in CO₂ emissions is expected to reach 60 000 tons.