Dongbok Dam in Hwasun-gun, South Jeolla Province, is set to be transferred to state ownership to support the Honam semiconductor cluster, with the government aiming to secure a stable water supply in time for the cluster's targeted completion in 2030.
Once the transfer is complete, the dam is expected to undergo a heightening project to raise its water storage capacity — a strategy designed to shorten the time needed to secure sufficient water to operate semiconductor fabrication plants.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment is currently conducting a preliminary feasibility study for the project.
If ownership is transferred to the state, Korea Water Resources Corporation is expected to take charge of the dam-heightening work.
The government believes that leading the project directly would cut the timeline from 10 years to three years and 11 months — a reduction of more than six years.
If the plan proceeds on schedule, water supply to the semiconductor fabrication plants would be ready by 2030, when the facilities are targeted to begin operation.
With the dam under state ownership, national budget funding would also become available to cover costs.
Officials from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the South Jeolla-Gwangju waterworks authority met at the Government Complex Sejong on Friday to discuss the ownership transfer of Dongbok Dam. The ministry's water resources policy director and the head of the South Jeolla-Gwangju waterworks authority were among those present.
Discussions on preserving the dam's role as a drinking water source are also planned.
"Dongbok Dam supplies 60 percent of Gwangju's tap water, so we will work with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to ensure its existing role is not disrupted," a city official said.
The government plans to draw on Dongbok Dam's current daily surplus of 50,000 tons and 150,000 tons per day from the Juam and Boseonggang dams, securing a combined 200,000 tons per day — the water supply target for the first phase of the Honam semiconductor fabrication plants in 2028.
"We are looking to raise Dongbok Dam's height by 15 meters to double its storage capacity, increasing the daily intake from around 300,000 tons to more than 600,000 tons," a government official said. "After the heightening work, we plan to supply around 250,000 tons per day from Dongbok Dam alone, bringing the total supply to the Honam semiconductor industrial complex to 650,000 tons per day."
sij@heraldcorp.com
