Record High Electricity Demand for Two Consecutive Days Due to Heavy Snow and Severe Cold

Jeong Seung-il, President of Korea Electric Power Corporation, is visiting the Shinyangjae Substation located in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on the 23rd to check the safety inspection of major power facilities.

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Amid consecutive heavy snowfalls and severe cold waves causing a surge in electricity demand, Jeong Seung-il, CEO of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), has initiated winter facility and operation inspections.

On the 23rd, CEO Jeong visited the Shinyangjae Substation located in Seocho-dong, Seoul, stating, "We will do our utmost to ensure safety inspections of major power facilities and stable power supply so that the public can use electricity with peace of mind this winter."

According to the Korea Power Exchange, the maximum power demand at around 10:35 a.m. that day reached 94.8 GW (gigawatts), breaking the previous day's record of 93.0 GW in just one day. The maximum power demands this winter were 91.7 GW on the 19th, 92.7 GW on the 21st, and 93.0 GW on the 22nd of this month.

KEPCO explained that the increase in heating power demand and the heavy snowfall in the Jeolla and Chungcheong regions, which sharply reduced solar power generation, affected the power demand. Fortunately, the power supply reserve margin remains stable at over 13%.

To prepare for unexpected emergencies, KEPCO has operated an emergency power supply and demand countermeasure situation room from the 1st of this month until February 28th next year, establishing an emergency response system for urgent situations. KEPCO, the Power Exchange, and other related power organizations are jointly monitoring the supply and demand situation in real time.

For stable power supply during winter, KEPCO is conducting special inspections of major transmission and distribution facilities, including pre-inspections of key equipment, preparation for increased heating loads, relief of transformer overloads, and activities to prevent blackout damage. In case of power outages within apartment complexes, customers can report the outage to KEPCO or the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation customer centers, and both KEPCO and the Electrical Safety Corporation share the outage information received and support prompt restoration.

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