[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]GM Korea Company signed an agreement today with renewable energy company KC Cottrell to build a 3 MegaWatt solar power generation facility on the rooftop of the automaker’s Changwon Plant, home of the brand new Chevrolet Spark and Spark EV.

Attendees at the signing ceremony, which was held at GM Korea’s Changwon Plant, included GM Korea President and CEO Sergio Rocha, KC Cottrell CEO Lee Tae-young and Changwon city representatives.

“Since its establishment, GM Korea has promoted sustainable growth through ongoing investment in environmental protection,” said Rocha. “We are adopting fuel-saving technologies in our vehicles while promoting recycling and energy efficiency in our facilities.”

He added, “Our Changwon Plant, which is the home of the Chevrolet Spark electric vehicle, will set a good example for low-carbon, green growth using renewable energy.”

The solar array that will be built on a 64,000-square-meter rooftop at the Changwon Plant is highly space efficient. It will produce 3,700 MegaWatt hour of electricity annually, which is equivalent to the energy used by 1,200 homes. It will cut carbon emissions at the facility by 2,400 tons per year. The solar array will go into service in the third quarter of 2013.

Based on the project’s success, GM Korea will explore building additional solar power generation facilities at its operations across Korea. This is in line with GM Korea’s new Environmental Strategy for Sustainable Growth, which involves fuel-saving technologies, end-of-life recyclability and landfill-free facilities.