|
The South Korean government is apparently considering the direct supply of electricity to the Anbyon and Nampo regions of North Korea, where the two sides agreed during a summit in October to build a joint shipyard. A government source said Monday, ¡°In North Korea, a stable supply of electricity sufficient to run a shipbuilding complex is impossible. We are looking into either building or repairing power generation plants in the areas or directly supplying electricity, but it seems direct power supply will be the choice.¡± That would cost billions of won and may make it difficult to justify the project. So far, the South Korean government has invested W35 billion (US$1=W919) to build facilities in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, to supply 100,000 kilowatts of electricity to the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex 16 km away across the border. But Anbyon is 130 km from Gosung, Gangwon Province in South Korea, while Nampo sits 160 km from the Kaesong Industrial Complex, where power lines from the South already exist.
An official with power monopoly KEPCO says a simple comparison with the Kaesong complex, in which W35 billion was invested to supply power over a 16 km distance, suggests around W500 billion will be needed to supply electricity to Anbyon and Nampo. The official said the cost may change depending on demand from the North Korean facilities, and construction costs are likely to swell in areas that are littered with mines. The South Korean government plans to start constructing a shipbuilding yard in Anbyon in the first half of next year.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
