Korea to build eco-friendly thermal power plant

South Korea will build a new 2,000 megawatt eco-friendly thermal power plant on its east coast that will not release any carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, a state-run power company said Friday. Korea Southern Power Co. (KOSPO) said that it will spend 3.2 trillion won (US$2.96 billion) to build the two advanced 1,000 megawatt turbines at Samcheok Green Power Plant by December 2015, reported the S.Korean "Yonhap" news agency. The Advanced Thermal Power Plant-1000 (ATP-1000) model turbines are designed to use so-called low grade coal, compared to high grade coal used by existing thermal power plants. This feature can raise overall energy efficiency and effectively allow the plant to cope with potential problems in the supply of high grade coal down the road. The power company added that comprehensive use of high-tech carbon capture and storage systems, and a closed cycle water processing system will prevent any CO2 and waste water from being released into the environment. KOSPO said that the plant''s coal storage will be moved indoors, while coal dust generated in the thermal power generation process will be recycled into other materials. In addition, the Samcheok facility could act as a commercial testbed for the ATP-1000 turbines, which were specifically built for the export market. The plant will be used as a test bed, allowing prospective buyers to check the actual performance of the turbines. The affiliate of Korea Electric Power Corp., meanwhile, said the plant''s power output will be increased to 5,000 megawatts by 2020, with the building of more power generation turbines at the site.