Yecheon — South Korea

Yecheon is a 800 MW hydro power station in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. It is operated by Korea Electric Power Company. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 801k homes (estimated). It ranks #53 of 216 South Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 0.6% of South Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 417 gCO₂/kWh (40.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1029852.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 800 MW, Yecheon is well above the median hydro plant in South Korea (35 MW). Technically it is described as pumped storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of South Korea hydro capacity

12.9% of 6,216 MW across 36 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

16 of 18 dated hydro plants in South Korea are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in South Korea

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Korea Electric Power Company. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a monsoon hot-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 36.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 21% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 62/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #2 largest hydro power plant of 36 in South Korea by capacity.

South Korea has 36 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 6,216 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Imha · Hydro · 50 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
• Andong Kowaco · Hydro · 90 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
• Yeongdeok nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 3,000 MW · North Gyeongsang
• Cheongsong · Hydro · 600 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
• Andong power station · Gas · 417 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
• Yeong Yang · Wind · 61.5 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do

Location

Coordinates 36.5678, 128.8761 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions