Construction of the Yeongdong pumped-storage hydro power station in South Korea has started, with its groundbreaking ceremony held on 17 April 2025. Contractor DL E&C secured a contract for this project in August 2024.

The 500-MW hydroelectric facility will be built over an area of 1.18 mil sq mm in Yanggang-myeon, Sangchon-myeon, and nearby areas in Yeongdong-gun. Scheduled for completion in 2030, the plant can supply power to about 110,000 households.

“A pumped-storage hydroelectricity power plant requires high durability and stability, since it combines the characteristics of water and electricity,” said DL E&C. “To connect the lower dam and the upper dam, the project includes a daunting task of making a vertical tunnel of 430 m, which is equivalent to an approximately 143-floor apartment building.”

Over the years, DL E&C has been involved in a number of hydro power and dam projects locally and globally, including the Yecheon pumped-storage hydro in South Korea, Karun Dam in Iran, Gulpur hydro in Pakistan, and Karian Dam in Indonesia, among others.

The contractor highlighted that with solar power, wind power and other renewable energy gaining traction for its potential to reduce carbon emissions, the demand for pumped-storage hydro power is increasing due to its ability to ‘store electricity.’

“It works by pumping up the water during the daytime using solar power, followed by the operation of the hydro power generators during the night, when solar power is not available,” explained DL E&C. “Especially with the advances in AI technologies, it is expected that the demand for electricity would surge. Therefore, the construction and engineering industries are paying keen attention as the breadwinner for the next generation.”