The groundbreaking ceremony for the Gangwon Hydrothermal Energy Cluster will be held at Bomnae Sports Hall in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do on the afternoon of March 11. This event will be hosted by the Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Wha-jin) and K-Water (CEO Yun Seog Dae).

The groundbreaking ceremony will be attended by key figures such as Minister Han Wha-jin of the Ministry of Environment, Governor Kim Jin Tae of Gangwon State, Mayor Yook Dong-han of Chuncheon City, and CEO Yun Seog Dae of K-Water. Additionally, representatives from hydrothermal and data center-related companies, along with local residents in the vicinity, will also be present.

The Gangwon Hydrothermal Energy Cluster project stands as a pioneering nationwide initiative, utilizing the cold deep water from the Soyang River Dam to cool data centers. This environmentally friendly project is geared towards reducing energy consumption and making a significant contribution to achieving carbon neutrality. 

With the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent times, data centers, facing a surge in demand, are required to operate servers 24/7 without interruption. The substantial heat generated in this process leads to significant power consumption for cooling. Utilizing the cold water from the deep Soyang River Dam, which maintains an average temperature of 7℃ throughout the year, to absorb the heat from the warm air generated in data centers could bring about a revolutionary reduction in the power needed for data center cooling.

The Ministry of Environment and K-Water have envisioned the hydrothermal energy cluster as a means to derive new value from existing dams and spearhead the development of the surrounding dam areas. By advocating for the decentralization of data centers, currently concentrated in the metropolitan area, they anticipate making substantial contributions to the stable operation of the national power grid and fostering balanced regional development.

The Cluster, set to commence construction this time, is planned for development in the Jinae-ri area of Dong-myeon, Chuncheon by the end of 2027. It will comprise a hydrothermal energy-based data center with a capacity of 220 MW, advanced agricultural facilities for smart farming, and more. The anticipated outcomes encompass the creation of over 7,300 high-quality jobs and an economic impact of KRW 2.46 trillion over the next 30 years. 

Minister Han Wha-jin emphasized, "Our goal is to transform the Gangwon Hydrothermal Energy Cluster into a pivotal driver for regional growth, establishing a foundation for the nationwide expansion of hydrothermal energy-based eco-friendly data center clusters, using its success as a model."

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com