How will Korea’s Jeolla region emerge as the Photovoltaic industry's Mecca?

Photovoltaic businesses are hogging the spotlight thanks to skyrocketing international oil prices, and Korea’s Jeolla region is emerging as the Mecca of domestic solar industry.

According to related industry officials and Korea Energy Management Corporation affiliated New & Renewable Energy Center on January 11, Korea had three photovoltaic plants in 2004, 13 in 2005 and 69 in 2006, and currently 211 as of January 2008.

50 percent of the photovoltaic power plants are located in Jeolla provinces; 80 in South Jeolla and 25 in North Jeolla.

Firms that have taken steps into the photovoltaic energy business are busy picking up pace. Kedcom had purchased a 36,000§³ plot of land located in South Jeolla’s Samsan subdivision of Haenam county and recently received consent to generate solar power. The company will begin generating 1MW solar energy starting from April. Kedcom had previously established a photovoltaic power plant on a 34,810§³ piece of land in South Jeolla’s Kunsae subdivision of Youngum county and plans to generate 1.4MW of solar power beginning July.

Dongwon Industries also built a photovoltaic plant called Dongwon Solar Park whose annual power generation capacity is 1.46 million kW -- in South Jeolla’s Gangjin county December last year. STX Engine is to invest 320 billion won by year 2010 in a 660,000§³ patch located in Geogeum Island of Goheung county to construct a 40MW photovoltaic power plant along with other subsidiary facilities.

DC Chemical also established a poly crystal silicon production plant, chief substance for solar batteries, in North Jeolla’s Gunsan and will begin production as of Q2 this year. Photovoltaic generation plants are concentrated in Jeolla because of the region’s profuse sunshine.

Korea’s average solar radiation during the past 30 years from 1971 to 2000 was 17.1MJ(megajoule)/§³. Meanwhile, solar radiation in South Jeolla is 21.6MJ/§³ and 17.7MJ/§³ for North Jeolla, much higher than the national average.

Now with skyrocketing international oil prices, will photovoltaic businesses be the answer to the world’s power problems?