Hyosung Heavy Industries: “To Localize Key Technologies for 2-GW-Class HVDC by 2027”

[Financial News] A plan has been presented to secure domestic key technologies for of 2-GW-class, large-capacity voltage-source high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission equipment for the West Coast power grid by 2027. Hyosung Heavy Industries has completed development of core algorithms for system design and submodules for converter valves, and has established a simulation test environment to verify the control system. The company aims to complete on-site installation and commissioning by 2030.
Hyosung Heavy Industries said on the 23rd that it held a meeting that day at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, to review progress on localizing West Coast HVDC technology. Around 100 people attended, including Lee Ho-hyun, vice minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and Kim Jae-gun, vice president of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), as well as officials from government, industry, academia and relevant associations. The meeting was intended to review development progress for the first time since Hyosung Heavy Industries was selected to participate in the valve and controller fields of KEPCO’s “Large-Capacity Voltage-Source HVDC Localization and Demonstration Project,” and to discuss future development directions and cooperation plans.
Hyosung Heavy Industries outlined progress on developing 2-GW-class HVDC technology, building on technology validated in an earlier 200-MW-class HVDC demonstration. Increasing transmission capacity tenfold requires improvements to the control system, converter valves and transformers, and the company said it would complete localization of these key technologies by 2027. With submodule development complete, development of 525-kV-class converter valves is also proceeding as planned, the company said. It has also completed construction of a hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) test environment to check control-system performance before connecting it to the actual power grid.
The company also disclosed its future schedule. It plans to complete development of key technologies and system design by 2027, then manufacture major equipment and conduct performance tests, before installing the equipment and commissioning it at the West Coast HVDC site by 2030.
The project grew out of KEPCO’s HVDC localization plan announced on September 10. Major equipment for large-capacity voltage-source HVDC systems has until now been supplied by a small number of global companies, including Hitachi, Ltd., Siemens AG and General Electric (GE). KEPCO has put forward a full-cycle model encompassing technology development, localization of equipment, demonstration and export commercialization, and plans to apply domestically produced equipment to the Saemangeum–Seohwasung HVDC system and validate it on the actual grid. Hyosung Heavy Industries was finally selected for the valve and controller fields after an open call in July for companies interested in participating and an expert evaluation on August 31. Hyosung Heavy Industries, LS ELECTRIC Co., Ltd., HD Hyundai Electric Co., Ltd. and Sanil Electric Co., Ltd. have been developing converter transformers since September last year. Hyosung Heavy Industries began developing HVDC technology with a 20-MW-class demonstration in Jeju in 2012, developed 200-MW-class equipment in-house and installed it at Yangju Substation.
Woo Tae-hee, CEO of Hyosung Heavy Industries, said, “I am grateful that Hyosung Heavy Industries was selected as the lead company for valves and controllers through the localization technology assessment last September. We will do our utmost to ensure that scheduled milestones, including a joint development agreement at year-end, the establishment of a special-purpose corporation and the development of HVDC transformers, proceed as planned.”

[email protected] Jeong Gyeong-su Reporter