Suncheon mayoral candidate pledges waste-heat sports complex at next-generation incineration facility

Candidate envisions turning waste into resources and energy, and waste heat into citizen welfare

Noh Gwan-gyu, the independent candidate for Suncheon mayor, has unveiled a plan to build a multi-purpose sports and community facility powered by waste heat from the next-generation public resource recovery facility — commonly known as an incinerator — planned for the Yeonhyang-deul area.

In a press release issued Sunday, Noh said the Yeonhyang-deul facility should be more than a place to dispose of garbage. "It must be a future-oriented resource circulation facility that converts waste into energy and returns those benefits to citizens," he said. He added that he would channel recovered waste heat into public sports and welfare amenities, including an Olympic-standard swimming pool, badminton courts and an indoor equestrian center.

Noh said the case for using waste heat has grown more compelling as rising fuel and energy costs increase the financial burden of running public facilities.

Swimming pools carry heavy fuel costs for heating and maintaining water temperature. Redirecting waste heat to supply hot water could sharply cut operating expenses, he said, with the savings passed on to residents through lower admission fees and expanded programs such as recreational swimming and senior health classes.

"Nearby Yeosu and Gwangyang each have an Olympic-standard pool, yet Suncheon — the central city of eastern South Jeolla Province — does not have a single one its citizens can take pride in," Noh said. "Suncheon needs sports infrastructure that matches its standing as a city."

He said he would "return waste as resources and energy, and waste heat as citizen welfare," and pledged to complete the project as "a premium residential environment combining parks, sports, culture and energy welfare."