Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, will be reborn as a green, waterside city in new plans unveiled by the government on March 16. Korea will inject more than ten trillion won to build a new port and bimodal trams, a new form of green transport, the government said.
The government finalized the comprehensive development plan for Saemangeum, a large tract of land created in a reclamation project 20 years ago. Under the plan, the government aims to turn the area into a carbon-free, high-quality waterside city by expanding the supply of renewable energy and building an effective resource recycling structure.
The plan will also create side-by-side residential and office areas in order to minimize carbon emissions. The plans also call for the introduction of bimodal trams, a type of an environment-friendly public transport vehicle which can move automatically on a road or track. The construction cost of the bimodal trams is estimated at around 17 billion won, lower than a half that of a monorail or a magnetic levitation train.
The government will also create a special renewable energy zone, including solar energy and hydrogen cell complexes and a special university for energy research and development on a 20-square-kilometer site. This will help raise Koreas renewable energy utilization rate to 15 percent by 2030.
Nearly 30 percent of the total area in Saemanguem will be zoned for agriculture, and a water sports leisure complex will contribute to the areas tourism potential. To secure clean water, the government decided to spend 2.9 trillion won on sewage treatment facilities.
The government will also strengthen networks for logistics and transportation by building a new port with 18 piers. They are also considering expanding Gunsan Airport to include international flights, and building a new expressway linking Saemangeum and Jeonju and double track subway tunnels between Saemanguem and Daeya.
Source: Apec VC
