Honam Region's Power Demand Reaches 6.3GW... 12 Trillion KRW Transmission Grid Still Headed to Seoul Metropolitan Area

Seowang Jin: "National Grid Plan Must Be Reviewed to Reflect New Power Demand in Honam"

12.2 Trillion KRW of the 14.2 Trillion KRW in Exempted Projects Allocated to Power Transmission Out of Honam

Minister Kim Seonghwan: "Thorough Reassessment of Power Grid Plans in the 12th Basic Plan"

As a large-scale semiconductor industrial complex is set up in the Honam region, a new power demand exceeding 6 GW has emerged. However, there have been concerns that the 1.2 trillion KRW transmission network plan—which aims to send electricity produced in Honam to the Seoul metropolitan area and the Chungcheong region—is still being implemented as originally scheduled. The government has also announced that it will review the existing power grid plans while formulating the 12th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand by the end of this year.

On October 6, Seowang Jin, member of the Kukmin Innovation Party, called for a reevaluation of the national long-term power grid plan to reflect the newly increased power demand in Honam, during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee.

Suh Wangjin, lawmaker of the Party for National Innovation.

According to an analysis by Jin's office, based on data from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and Korea Electric Power Corporation, four West Coast high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission projects—from Honam to the metropolitan and Chungcheong regions—exempted from preliminary feasibility studies in August, require project costs totaling 5.8 trillion KRW. An additional 6.4 trillion KRW is needed for six converter station projects linked to these lines.

The combined cost of both types of projects amounts to 12.2 trillion KRW, representing about 86% of the total 14.2 trillion KRW for all 15 projects exempted from preliminary feasibility studies.

This transmission grid was promoted to send electricity generated by nuclear power plants and renewable energy in Honam to major areas of power consumption such as the Seoul metropolitan region. The 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand noted the necessity to construct transmission lines such as Sinhaenam-Taean TP-Seoincheon and Saemangeum-Taean TP-Yeongheung TP, specifically for "connecting nuclear and renewable energy grids in the Honam region." KEPCO, in its promotion of the preliminary feasibility exemption in August, explained that this project aims to supply electricity generated by nuclear and renewable energy from the East Coast and Honam to industrial complexes with high electricity demand.

The power demand in Honam has changed significantly since the government announced its "Republic of Korea Grand Leap: Three Mega Projects" in June of this year.

The government is pushing for semiconductor investments in the Southwest region amounting to 800 trillion KRW. The power supply required for four semiconductor fabs alone is expected to reach about 6.3 GW. Additional projects such as the 1 GW-class AI data center by SK, the Jangseong and Gangjin AI data centers, and the Haenam National AI Computing Center are also underway.

As a result, the electricity needed for direct use in Honam is set to increase substantially. Less than two months after the mega-project announcement, the government confirmed the preliminary feasibility exemption for 15 existing national power grid projects in August.

Jin stated, "Given that a new semiconductor-related demand of 6.3 GW has arisen in Honam, it is necessary to first verify whether this is properly reflected in the existing national long-term power grid plan and recalculate how much electricity actually needs to be sent out of Honam." He added, "The 12th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand must review the grid's capacity, investment priorities, and completion timelines to reflect new demand and the expansion of renewable energy in Honam." He also called for a reassessment of projects already granted preliminary feasibility exemptions, to ensure they align with the current electricity supply and demand situation.

Kim Seong-hwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, responded, "During the process of finalizing the 12th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, we will thoroughly review power grid plans from scratch, further examine whether unnecessary projects exist, and establish an optimal plan suitable for current conditions."

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