January 5, 2018

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Seoul Archdiocese is trying to create a more eco-friendly church community by encouraging parishes and churchgoers to use more solar energy.

Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Seoul mayor Park Won-soon on Dec. 27 to work together to expand solar generation.

According to the MoU, Seoul Archdiocese will increase generating solar power via the roofs of its parish buildings and on church-owned land including parking lots.

In addition, it will encourage parishioners to install solar generators in their homes.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will offer subsidies for the equipment and support the archdiocese with technology and in administrative matters.

As a first step, Seoul Archdiocese will install a solar power generator at Eungam-dong Church early this year and later do the same in other parishes.

It will also install a solar-power mobile phone charger at Myeongdong Cathedral.

“Our church has long been interested in this kind of eco-friendly energy. We are happy to join Seoul’s ambitious project to make the city a ‘solar city’,” Cardinal Yeom said.

The city government in November launched its “Solar City Seoul” project, which aims to produce 1 gigawatt of solar energy — equivalent to the capacity of one nuclear reactor — during the next five years through 2022.

The MoU with the church is the first public-private partnership related to the project.

Mayor Park Won-soon said, “Expansion of solar generation facility is related to the survival of human as it counters climate change and reduces fine dusts. It is not just generating energy. I’m happy with Seoul archdiocese’s support on the project.”