Yongin Semiconductor Cluster Power Shortage Resolved... KEPCO Invests 73 Trillion in New Transmission and Substation Facilities

The facility plan for the new substation for the 10GW power supply of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster has been established. This project, which involves an investment of 72.8 trillion won, is expected to resolve the power supply issue, a long-standing wish of the semiconductor industry, while also generating a production inducement effect of 134 trillion won and an employment inducement effect of 480,000 people.

Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) announced on the 27th that it has established the '11th Long-term Transmission and Substation Facility Plan' and confirmed it at the 312th Electric Power Commission of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The 11th facility plan aims to ensure a seamless response to the power supply of advanced strategic industries such as the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster and the changing power supply and demand situation. It is a detailed plan for transmission and substation facilities applied for 15 years from 2024 to 2038, based on the power demand and generation facility outlook of the '11th Basic Power Supply and Demand Plan' announced last February.

According to the plan, the system will be restructured for the efficient operation of the Honam-Capital Region High Voltage Direct Current Transmission (HVDC), and the power supply infrastructure reflecting the power demand of national advanced strategic industries such as semiconductors will be expanded. The Honam-Capital Region HVDC, considering the current voltage-type HVDC technology level (maximum unit capacity of 2GW), converter station site acquisition, and system reinforcement conditions, will change from the existing two 4GW routes (completed in 2036) to four 2GW routes (completed in stages in 2031, 2036, and 2038).

To supply more than 10GW of large-scale power needed for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in a timely manner, a facility plan including the establishment of a new substation within the industrial complex and connection with the existing power grid has also been prepared. In addition, the completion timing of the power grid construction projects in Hanam-si and Dangjin-si, which are currently underway, has been adjusted by comprehensively considering construction delays and changes in system conditions.

KEPCO expects a total investment of 72.8 trillion won will be needed for this facility plan by 2038. KEPCO Management Research Institute analyzed that this facility plan will have an impact on the national economy, with a production ripple effect of approximately 134 trillion won and an employment inducement effect of about 480,000 people.

A KEPCO official stated, "Through the 'Special Act on the Expansion of National Power Grid' enacted last February, we plan to enhance the momentum for construction projects, increase resident-friendly substations, and establish a neutral electromagnetic wave management system to enhance resident acceptance of power facilities and construct them in a timely manner."

leeyb@fnnews.com Lee Yubom Reporter