S. Korea's 1st indigenous gas turbine-equipped power plant begins commercial operations

SEOUL, July 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has begun commercial operations of a power plant installed with the country's first homegrown gas turbine, its operator said Monday.

Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) said it began operating the Gimpo Combined Heat and Power Plant in the city of Gimpo, west of Seoul, on Friday. The plant is equipped with a 270-megawatt indigenous gas turbine developed by local power plant equipment maker Doosan Enerbility Co.

The state-run power firm successfully developed the first homegrown gas turbine with Doosan and other private firms in 2019 after six years of work, becoming the world's fifth nation to secure a major gas turbine of its own after the United States, Japan, Germany and Italy.

The gas turbine was installed at the Gimpo plant in April last year and was first ignited in March 2023. After equipment tuning, combustion tests and other necessary procedures, KOWEPO commenced its commercial operations last week.

"The operation is expected to help ensure a smooth electricity supply," a KOWEPO official said. "We will develop a next-generation indigenous gas turbine and will push for exporting the technologies."

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