The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE, Minister Kim Sungwhan) announced that it will hold a “DC Industry Promotion Roundtable” at the Korea Power Infrastructure Center (located in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul) on the afternoon of July 29. The roundtable has been organized to review the current state of Korea’s DC industry and discuss policy, technological, and institutional support measures to promote the sector, including plans to introduce DC distribution networks. 

Participants in the roundtable will include the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI), the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), three power equipment companies, namely, LS Electric, HD Hyundai Electric, and Hyosung Heavy Industries, as well as LG Electronics, Hanwha, and experts from academia.

The roundtable will begin with the KEPCO presenting its proposed plan for introducing DC distribution networks. This will be followed by presentations from LS Electric and Hyosung Heavy Industries, which will outline their private-sector DC business plans and offer policy recommendations to help revitalize the industry. The KETI will then present the need to advance the DC industry, along with the technological and institutional challenges that must be addressed. Participants will subsequently hold a comprehensive discussion on key measures to promote the industry.

Based on the opinions presented at the roundtable, the MCEE plans to flesh out the necessary policy, technological, and institutional measures and formulate a “DC Industry Promotion Plan” during the third quarter.

Minister Kim Sungwhan of the MCEE said, “As demand for DC-based electricity continues to grow with the expansion of renewable energy, energy storage systems, and data centers, the DC industry will become a key sector that determines the competitiveness of the future power industry. We will foster the DC industry as a future export sector so that the technologies and experience accumulated in Korea can strengthen the global competitiveness of our companies.”

Meanwhile, Minister Kim Sungwhan visited the Yangju Substation (located in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do) earlier that morning to inspect the Yangju back-to-back (BTB*) facility, the first to use Korea’s domestically developed 200 MW-class High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology. He also met with representatives from KEPCO and Hyosung Heavy Industries to hear updates on the localization of HVDC technology and policy recommendations for revitalizing the industry, while calling on companies to make proactive investments to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea’s HVDC industry.

* BTB (back-to-back) is a facility that connects different power grids, enabling the stable exchange of electricity. The Yangju Substation contributes to stabilizing the power grid in the northern Gyeonggi region.

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com