South Korea, Seoul: The South Korean government has designated 99 transmission line and substation construction projects as part of the national backbone power grid, marking the official launch of its “energy expressway” initiative, the administration’s top energy policy priority.
The decision was made during the first National Backbone Power Grid Expansion Committee meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok at the Seoul Government Complex. Ministries, metropolitan governments, and private-sector experts participated. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that it will operate a whole-of-government governance framework under the special act on power grids to accelerate expansion.
The 99 projects include the buildout of the West Coast energy expressway in the 2030s and the U-shaped expressway in the 2040s. To support development, the government plans to implement permitting special cases, expanded resident support, and joint construction of road–power grid infrastructure.
A strategy to foster the HVDC industry was also adopted, with a goal of completing high-capacity voltage-source HVDC development and demonstration by 2030, paving the way for export-driven industrialisation.
To stabilise the grid during the Gyeongbu low-load period, the government has designated a special response period from 20 September to 16 October and is operating an emergency response team.
Following the meeting, MOUs were signed for cooperation on construction of a West Coast HVDC converter station and the creation of a special-purpose company for an HVDC demonstration project.
Prime Minister Kim emphasised the importance of building social consensus and minimising conflict while creating a balanced and stable national power grid.
Source: Chosun Biz
