IPP DNV Picked as Advisor for South Korea’s Offshore Grid Plan

Independent Power Provider DNV has been picked by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to help with the development of an offshore power grid plan.

Independent Power Provider DNV has been picked by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to help with the development of an offshore power grid plan. The offshore project will transfer renewable offshore wind power to South Korea.

KEPCO is the largest electric utility in South Korea.

The said project is slated for completion by the middle of 2025.

The IPP will serve as the technical advisor for KEPCO and come up with a conceptual design and routing plan.

Yang Byeong Mo, the Project Manager at DNV, said, “The KEPCO HVDC (high voltage direct current transmission) research project is increasing our expertise and experience in this growing market segment in South Korea. It has taken a year of detailed discussion with Kepco to define and secure the work.” He added, “The project scope requires close cooperation with our European power grids team, which will lead to technology improvements and boost local knowledge on renewables-grid integration in South Korea.”

KEPCO has set sights on network expansion along South Korea’s western coast. It is lookibg to deliver power from high capacity renewable offshore wind farm (OWF) sites. This power is to be transferred to centres that see high demand such as Seoul, which is South Korea’s capital.

South Korea has embarked on a mission of achieving 20% of its power from renewable sources by the end of the decade. The country’s wind energy has been growing at a rapid rate.

In February of 2021, South Korea introduced a project of 8.2 GW capacity, valued at $43.2bn. Upon completion in 2030,  it will be set to become the world’s largest single offshore development.

Last year, in a major announcement, Deep Wind Offshore (DWO) joined hands with East West Power (EWP) for the development of offshore wind projects in South Korea. Both DWO and EWP will construct four floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind energy projects under the new collaboration. The total capacity of the project is projected to be more than 4 GW.