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2023. Oct VOL.667
2023. Oct VOL.667
In the 1970s, Soyanggang Dam was the cornerstone of national economic development and public safety while playing a pivotal role in Korea’s economy and security through smooth water supply, preventing disasters through flood control, and overcoming droughts. What changes have happened so far to Soyanggang Dam, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this 2023? Today, as the role of dams is becoming more important in the face of a rapidly changing climate crisis, Soyanggang Dam strives to be reborn as the cradle of smart water management.
At present, the need for dams is emphasized now more than ever as the frequency of extreme droughts and floods increases due to abnormal weather caused by climate change. Accordingly, Soyanggang Dam aims to reinforce the existing water management system and promote innovative changes through digital transformation. As a representative example, K-water has been operating the ‘Digital GARAM+,’ the digital twin*-based water management platform it built in 2021. Digital GARAM+ is a technology that connects various types of water management data in real time to a 3D digital virtual world—which replicates the real world—and simulates various scenarios for flood occurrence in advance in order to aid in decision making for optimal water management. This is the world’s first digital twin-based water management platform. Starting with the Seomjingang River basin, K-water plans to expand it to all five major rivers including the Hangang River, Geumgang River, Yeongsangang River, and Nakdonggang River basins so as to prevent disasters and strengthen flood control functions through the water management platform by the end of this year. In addition, K-water is introducing “smart dam safety management” through real-time intelligent surveillance (smart monitoring), drone-based (aerial and underwater) safety inspection, and establishment and operation of a dam BIM-based integrated safety management system. Established using Fourth Industrial Revolution technology, the smart dam safety management system is being promoted with the goal of 37 dams in Korea including Soyanggang Dam being able to respond preemptively to natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.
*Digital twin: A technology that synchronizes the real world and the virtual world to realize a realistic 3D virtual world in cyberspace, and then simulates various situations, analyzes the results, and finds the optimal solution.
Soyanggang Dam, which has been generating hydroelectric power, now aims to become a renewable energy production base. Since 2021, K-water has been implementing a project to build a ‘hydrothermal energy convergence cluster’ by producing hydrothermal energy using the deep water of Soyanggang Dam as a source of water to use it for cooling the facilities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Data Center. Hydrothermal energy is produced by collecting water heat sources such as dam lake water, water going to the water purification plant, and river water—whose water temperature is lower than the air temperature in summer and higher in winter—using a heat pump and used for cooling and heating. As Soyanggang Dam has an abundance of cold water whose temperature is maintained at 7℃ throughout the year, it is regarded as a key location for hydrothermal energy. Following the designation of the dam as a leading investment district for the Gangwon-do Hydrothermal Energy Convergence Cluster in March 2021, it began its full-scale business promotion and completed the related licensing procedure in May 2023. K-water plans to complete construction of the cluster by 2027 and to supply hydrothermal energy to an integrated complex of eco-friendly data centers and smart farms (hi-tech agricultural complex) for 30 years from 2028 to 2057 to be used for cooling and heating. The supply of hydrothermal energy to the data center and smart farm as cooling and heating energy will save 64% of fossil fuels. In connection with the celebratory event of the 50th anniversary of Soyanggang Dam, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Gangwon-do Hydrothermal Energy Cluster scheduled for October 2023 will propose a future vision for the water industry and also provide an opportunity to gain recognition as a regional economic development infrastructure. In the future, based on a successful project model of the Gangwon-do Hydrothermal Energy Cluster, K-water plans to expand the construction of a hydrothermal-based energy cluster targeting multi-purpose dams in Korea as well as establish a basic plan for the Daecheong Dam hydrothermal energy cluster pilot project. In addition, K-water aims to produce renewable energy through floating photovoltaic panels—an eco-friendly power generation facility—by installing solar modules on water surfaces of dams and reservoirs. Floating photovoltaic panels can be installed in an eco-friendly manner without damaging nature, boasting of power generation capacity that is about 5% higher than that of solar power installed on the ground due to the cooling effect by the surface of the water.
Soyanggang Dam has played a pivotal role for the past 50 years, and now is the time to aim for future-oriented, sustainable dam management in addition to traditional water management services. K-water is making efforts to maximize the value of the dam and surrounding area in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Soyanggang Dam. The company promotes the Soyanggang Dam comprehensive renovation project to improve the dam’s landscape and contribute to local development so that the dam can develop into a space for public happiness and mutual growth with the local community. K-water strives to improve the convenience of visitors by enhancing the space design of old facilities and night lighting so that Soyanggang Dam can play its role as a tourist attraction. In addition, it plans to establish a smooth safety inspection system by installing a smart monitoring system to strengthen the dam’s functions and restore and improve the habitats of protected species in the reservoir.
Furthermore, K-water endeavors to pay attention to regional coexistence tasks by connecting local events for residents around Soyanggang Dam, improving the contents of the culture center, and providing cultural and experience events and programs. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Soyanggang Dam, K-water is carrying out the construction of the Soyanggang Dam Manghyangbi Monument in honor of the local residents who left their hometowns for the construction of the dam. It also built the Submerged Area Hall on the first floor of the Water Culture Center through Chuncheon City’s investment. The hall displays a diorama of the old village before it was submerged and its related archival records.
Having shared the history of Korea’s economic growth over the past 50 years, Soyanggang Dam is planning to serve as an outpost for sustainable future-oriented dam management through renovation and by solving various tasks. Let’s look forward to the next 50 years of Soyanggang Dam, which is ready to take a new leap for the future through innovative changes and development!
