[K-Industry: Designers of the Future] The Pride of "K-Inverters"... OCI Power Survives China's Low-Price Offensive

(19) Kim Daehoon, Head of OCI Power's Solution Business Division

Grid Stability Is Critical in the Solar Era
Inverter Hacking Could Trigger Large-Scale Blackouts
Develops and Manufactures Inverters of 1 MW or More In-House
"Accelerati

Editor's NoteThe landscape of K-industry is changing rapidly. Amid the turbulence of global markets, next-generation technology researchers and engineers are quietly shaping tomorrow. They are the lifeblood of the Korean economy and the true leaders who will sustain Korea's future. The Asia Business Daily is publishing an interview series, "K-Industry: The Architects of the Future," highlighting their innovative technologies and visions for the future. The nineteenth interview features Kim Daehoon, head of the Solutions Business Division at OCI Power, which oversees the domestic market.

In the early days of solar power generation, the key question was how much electricity could be produced from sunlight. Now, however, the ability to control generated electricity and feed it steadily into the power grid has become crucial. No matter how much electricity is produced, failing to control it in real time in line with the balance of power supply and demand could lead to a large-scale blackout or grid instability. If an inverter connecting a solar power plant to the grid is hacked, it could also disrupt grid control. That is why inverters are considered infrastructure for national energy security, going beyond their basic role as power conversion devices.

Kim Daehoon, head of the Solutions Business Division at OCI Power, poses after an interview with The Asia Business Daily at OCI's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. OCI Power.

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily at OCI's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 10th, Kim Daehoon, head of the Solutions Business Division at OCI Power, said, "OCI Power is the only company in Korea that independently researches and develops large-capacity central inverters of 1 MW or more, manufactures them in-house, and provides comprehensive maintenance services. We are leading the localization of key equipment needed for large-scale power plants, including by developing Korea's first 1,500 V-class central inverter in 2020."

OCI Power has continued to advance its technology even as the solar power market has slumped, and remains the only company in Korea to sustain domestic production of large inverters. Just over a decade ago, there were dozens of inverter-related companies, but many went out of business after failing to withstand intense price pressure from Chinese manufacturers.

Localizing inverter production is important because it is directly linked to national security. A hack of an inverter, a power conversion device, could destabilize the national power grid. "Some overseas manufacturers' inverters have cloud-based remote monitoring and control functions, raising cybersecurity concerns over the transfer of power generation data overseas and external remote access," Kim said. "Given that this equipment is directly linked to energy security, it is urgent to ensure thorough localization and security management."

Localizing solar equipment also helps foster the domestic industrial ecosystem. OCI Power has been producing control boards, a key component of inverters, together with specialized domestic partners. OCI Power is responsible for control technology and product design, while specialized partners handle manufacturing. "From enclosure manufacturing to circuit design, our business is closely integrated with the domestic parts and manufacturing ecosystem. As OCI Power expands its inverter business, the domestic industry grows alongside it," Kim explained.

Fostering a domestic partner ecosystem...Targeting the ESS market with 4.4W-class PCS

OCI Power is also expanding its inverter technology into the energy storage system (ESS) market. If solar modules are the batteries of an ESS, the inverter's role is similar to that of a power conversion system (PCS), which controls the ESS. Building on its large-capacity inverter technology for solar power, OCI Power is advancing its PCS technology for ESS and expanding its product lineup to serve the Central Contract Market and distribution-grid ESS projects.

Kim expects the company to build up its track record in line with the government's recent push to stabilize the grid, adding that it may be able to expand overseas, including into Southeast Asia, in the future.

OCI Power is making thorough preparations for the advent of tandem modules, which are attracting attention as a next-generation solar technology. Unlike conventional solar modules, tandem modules maximize power generation efficiency, causing a dramatic increase in the amount of direct-current power generated instantaneously. This makes high-performance inverter technology essential to absorb and convert that power reliably. "We will accelerate the commercialization of ultra-high-efficiency inverter technology suited to tandem modules so that the domestic market is not once again overtaken by Chinese-made tandem modules and inverters that compete on price," Kim said. "We are working proactively to ensure that Chinese-made inverters do not replace locally made ones."

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