Korea Electric Power Corporation said on the 19th it has formally begun construction of the "West Coast high-voltage direct current (HVDC) energy expressway."
The West Coast HVDC energy expressway is a set of four HVDC transmission networks that will transport large-scale offshore wind power and other renewable energy produced along the west coast to major demand centers such as the greater Seoul area. KEPCO plans to build it in phases through 2038 and, in particular, to complete the first section connecting Saemangeum and the capital region by 2030, a year earlier than initially planned.
KEPCO entered full-fledged design procedures in early March for the subsea cable route. KEPCO finished selecting sites last year for the eight converter stations to be built and decided early this year, after comprehensively considering economic feasibility, constructability, and energy security, to build the HVDC transmission network under the sea.
Building an HVDC transmission network typically takes more than nine years. However, KEPCO plans to marshal companywide resources to complete phase one by 2030 through process innovation and close cooperation with the government, local governments, and manufacturers.
First, KEPCO plans to finish the basic design process within this year, a step that previously took more than two years. Based on that, it will tender the subsea cable work early next year to select a contractor. In addition, by conducting the marine survey itself within this year—work that cable manufacturers used to perform after contract award—KEPCO aims to create conditions for manufacturers to begin cable production immediately upon contract signing and thereby secure sufficient construction time.
It is also reviewing ways to expand support for fishers to minimize impacts on fishing areas from subsea cable construction. In addition, it is working closely with the government and local governments, including by forming a working-level council, to complete project permits and approvals in the shortest possible time.
KEPCO has also formed a consultative body with domestic cable manufacturers to secure large-scale subsea cable production capacity in advance and is pushing to introduce equipment needed for construction, such as ultra-large cable-laying vessels. KEPCO plans to work together, based on communication among manufacturers, to achieve the shared goals of "on-time construction of the national core power grid" and "new commercialization of the domestic HVDC industry."
A KEPCO official said, "This project is a symbolic one that presents the direction of Korea's future power grid and will be an important turning point for building the future power system," adding, "We will do our best to achieve the challenging goal of completing phase one of the energy expressway by 2030."