South Korea: KEPCO has announced plans to build a total of 95 MW of solar power facilities at substations across South Korea by 2030.
The company identified around 500 sites with available land, including residual areas, landscaped sections and smaller plots surrounding substations, suitable for solar installation. A pilot project with a capacity of 1 MW is scheduled to begin this year through a dedicated task force, with wider deployment planned over the coming years.
The initiative follows a government decision to include K-RE100 participation and implementation performance in the management evaluations of public institutions subject to the Act on the Management of Public Institutions. K-RE100 promotes the use of 100 % renewable energy.
KEPCO stated that the project will make use of existing substation land while supporting renewable energy targets. In mountainous areas, the company noted that replacing landscaped zones containing trees with solar installations could also help limit the spread of wildfires and provide additional disaster prevention benefits.
The utility added that discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport regarding improvements to related regulations and systems.
The programme reflects growing interest in integrating renewable generation directly within existing grid infrastructure and optimising the use of utility-owned land.
Source: Chosun
