North Korea has confirmed on Tuesday that it has constructed a large solar power plant equivalent to the size of 14 soccer fields in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province. This initiative is interpreted as North Korea’s effort to bolster its electricity production capacity through the expansion of renewable energy, as the country grapples with chronic power shortages.
NK News, a media outlet specializing in North Korean affairs, reported that analysis of satellite images from Planet Labs, a satellite data company, revealed the establishment of a solar power plant covering approximately 10 hectares (25 acres, or the size of 14 soccer fields) in the western region of Haeju.
According to the satellite imagery, construction began in June last year, with the majority of the linear solar panel installation completed by December of the same year. The power plant is situated near an aging paper mill in Haeju, the capital of South Hwanghae Province, and it appears that new factory facilities were also constructed during the same period.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party, and Korean Central Television reported earlier this month that this facility was completed on April 30. The power plant, named Solar Power Plant, is reportedly operated by the South Hwanghae Provincial Power Distribution Department.
The Korean Central News Agency stated that the plant has a capacity of 10,000 kW (10 megawatts, MW). While this capacity is not considered large by international standards, it is reportedly the largest among publicly disclosed solar power facilities in North Korea to date.
Recently, North Korea has been unusually vocal about its power shortage issues through state media. The Rodong Sinmun has mentioned the pressing power issue in 17 articles this year alone, emphasizing in an article on May 13 that it must contribute to resolving the country’s urgent power problems.
Moreover, in a recent interview with power sector officials published in the Rodong Sinmun, the need to boost energy production through the expansion of nuclear, hydro, thermal, wind, tidal, and solar power generation was highlighted.
Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, while not directly addressing the power shortage in his speech at the 9th Party Congress in February, did call for strengthening research on new energy industries.
Up until now, North Korea has been installing small-scale solar panels in factories, institutions, and households to supplement its insufficient electricity supply. Since 2023, authorities have also been promoting the construction of state-managed solar power plants, and recently, solar facilities in locations such as Hamhung and Pyongsong have been showcased through state media.
NK News assessed that the Haeju solar power plant demonstrates North Korea’s expansion of state-led renewable energy projects to address its chronic power shortage issues.
