KEPCO to Develop Standard Model for Industrial Complex Microgrid

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has embarked on standardizing industrial complex-type microgrids. A microgrid is a next-generation power system that integrates renewable energy power plants and energy storage systems (ESS).

According to KEPCO on the 27th, the KEPCO consortium recently won the contract for the "Gumi Smart Green Industrial Complex Energy Self-Sufficiency Infrastructure Construction Project," commissioned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation. This project aims to improve the inefficient power consumption structure by establishing renewable energy infrastructure and intelligent microgrids in aging industrial complexes.

The KEPCO consortium was finally selected as the project executor after competing with two private consortia. This result recognizes KEPCO's world-class microgrid construction and operation technology. In fact, since 2009, KEPCO has accumulated various demonstration experiences domestically and internationally by building microgrids on energy self-sufficient islands such as Gapado and Gasado, as well as on university campuses.

From next month until December 2024, KEPCO will invest approximately 39.5 billion KRW over about three years to establish a standard microgrid model in the Gumi industrial complex. The project includes installing a 10MW-class solar power plant and a "Negawatt" power plant that utilizes electricity saved through energy efficiency improvements. KEPCO expects to reduce electricity consumption by about 13GWh annually through the Gumi Negawatt power plant.

KEPCO plans to contribute to the local economy by linking new energy industries such as electric vehicle battery recycling and V2G (Vehicle to Grid) with Gumi-type jobs. Additionally, KEPCO intends to expand the industrial complex-type microgrid model introduced in Gumi to industrial complexes nationwide.

A KEPCO official stated, "We will also establish a distributed energy system that produces and trades low-carbon energy near the Green Industrial Complex," adding, "We will strive to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.