[Kim Byungmin's Science Village] The Light of South Korea Embraced by the 'Smart Grid'

In the Era of Nuclear Phase-Out and Carbon Neutral Policies,
Renewable Energy Cannot Fully Supply Electricity
To Use It Stably Without Blackouts, Production and Consumption Must Match Every Moment

Byungmin Kim, Science Writer

"You can’t have your cake and eat it."

Just as everyone has their favorite restaurants, a place near Anin Port in Gangneung came to my mind. Visiting Gangneung after more than a decade made me truly realize the saying that landscapes change over time. Relying on my geographical memory, I arrived at the harbor only to find that beyond the changing landscape, a massive black structure had swallowed all my memories. Upon closer look, the black object turned out to be the enormous Anin Thermal Power Plant under construction. Around it, the hearts of residents opposing the power plant were fluttering endlessly on red cloths covered in dust.

But this raises a question. The government has introduced the CF100 policy, aiming for zero greenhouse gas emissions, meaning 100% Carbon Free. So why is a thermal power plant being built? Before this, there was the RE100 policy, which aimed to fully supply industrial electricity with renewable energy. This policy leads to escaping from nuclear power, which carries many environmental issues at various levels. At first glance, both policies seem like good declarations. After all, we cannot borrow future opportunities for the present.

However, these two policies subtly betray each other. Because the power shortage caused by phasing out nuclear power must be temporarily covered by coal. The reason is that energy relying solely on the sun, wind, and water cannot possibly meet the demand for electricity. Ultimately, nuclear power is regaining momentum under the carbon-free policy. CF100 and RE100 are no longer complementary but have become a matter of choice. Recently, the smart grid has emerged as a savior to rescue the Earth and humanity. Investors with keen eyes are already buying stocks related to what seems like an intelligent power grid. In fact, if you look at all the declarations made so far, none are wrong. Yet, there is a strange entanglement and a feeling of hollow declarations that don’t quite add up.

The reason is that one crucial fact is missing here. Our civilization is maintained by electricity. Without electric civilization, it is an unimaginable era. If a notice of power outage were to arrive, people would become overwhelmed imagining a hellish daily life. Then one might ask, wouldn’t everything be solved if we generate electricity, store the surplus, and use it when needed? The answer to this question is heading unthinkingly toward the "smart grid." But a more important inherent characteristic of electricity lies at the heart of our concerns. Ultimately, if we do not understand this characteristic, we cannot accurately view current energy policies. That characteristic is that electricity generation and consumption must match every moment.

A power plant located near the city center. (Photo by Pixabay)

Battery-Based 'Smart Grid'
Containing Electron Armies for Use When Needed
The Entire Grid as One Ecosystem
Requires Not Only Technology but Also Structural Change

The essence of electricity is an army of electrons. For example, a mobile phone uses about 5 amperes (A) of current, and the number of electrons flowing through the circuit in one second is approximately 3.125×10 to the 19th power. Even if we consider the Earth's population as 7 billion, this is 4.4 billion times more electrons than the population needed instantaneously. This electricity must flow through conductors. What does it mean that electricity flows? Does it flow as fast as light? Metals like copper or aluminum that make up the power grid are already filled with free electrons. So, it’s like a hose filled with water. Current is like turning on a faucet, where water pressure pushes water instantly to the other end of the hose, no matter how far. When the electron army generated at the power plant is pushed into the grid as voltage, all machines connected to the power grid can use as many electrons as they generate anywhere. So, when electricity is generated, any consumer connected to the grid uses it. Electricity is produced in factories but is neither a tangible product like general goods nor delivered like a parcel. Therefore, suppliers predict consumption and generate electricity accordingly to supply the grid. If supply and demand do not match, especially if supply is insufficient, bigger problems arise, although excess supply is also problematic.

Such imbalance causes power outages. If partial outages are not implemented, the entire power grid can fail. Driving on a highway, you encounter an uphill slope. To overcome this, you press the accelerator to increase engine RPM. But if the slope continues steeply, the engine cannot endure and eventually breaks down. Power outages are like forcibly cutting off demand in some areas to prevent the collapse of the power grid when demand exceeds total electricity production, akin to lowering the road's hill to maintain the engine RPM, which corresponds to power frequency.

The smart grid currently discussed is based on batteries that chemically store the electron army temporarily in specific atoms and use them when needed, along with information and communication technology. Also, power grid consumers can become producers. In addition to the centralized system so far, households and businesses install renewable energy generation facilities to self-supply, store surplus, or send it to the grid. It seems simple, but the path to a sustainable energy system is long and arduous. It is not impossible but a massive task that changes the entire energy system’s nature, requiring a long time and resources.

The power grid is one machine and ecosystem as a whole. It is a single body connected from power plants through transmission towers and transformers on utility poles to household outlets. For this power grid to become smart, IT technology is necessary, but the system itself must also change. It can be compared to not being able to use a 5G network with a 2G phone.

More importantly, can power supply be achieved solely with renewable energy? A minimum supply of electricity is necessary for all electric civilization in our country to operate smoothly. Currently, nuclear and coal power cover this, but can renewable energy alone fill the gap left by these sources? The unpredictable nature of weather makes stable power supply difficult. We cannot remove shadows on solar panels or change the weather to blow stopped wind. Nor can we cover all mountains nationwide with solar panels. Although the smart grid compensates for fluctuating frequencies, maintaining stability as reliably as coal and nuclear power is not easy. The more unpredictable current changes enter the grid, the more complexity arises, causing unforeseen problems.

Experts cite examples from the U.S. and Europe, but the U.S. grid is divided, and Europe’s grids are interconnected geographically. If power is insufficient, borrowing is possible, but Korea is surrounded by sea on three sides, with only China and Japan as nearby neighbors. Therefore, building a grid within a single country has limited significance. Grid issues are only valid in unprecedented global resource agreements where national borders disappear. Also, energy storage devices, the core components of smart grids, still face technological barriers. Under the CF100 and RE100 slogans, reliance on coal and nuclear power is inevitable for the time being.

A virtual downtown connected by a power grid. (Photo by Pixabay)

Government, Individuals, and Companies
All Cry Out for a "Sustainable Future"
But No Effort for Infrastructure

In urban areas, you cannot see utility poles with transformers. Parts of the grid have been removed as if they were eyesores. Out of sight, out of mind, it seems. People do not even try to recognize the reality intertwined with the fate of the Earth and humanity. Electricity has been a resource enjoyed freely under the excuse of growth, paying less than production costs. Transitioning to a future energy system requires enormous costs. Yet, when electricity rates rise to build power infrastructure, both companies and individuals complain of inconvenience, and resistance to power plants in their backyards grows stronger. The government listens to all voices, avoids conflicts, fails to grasp the grid’s essence, and cannot persuade the public. But are we ready to be persuaded? Attaching the adjective ‘sustainable’ to energy is not the government’s sole responsibility.

It is July, yet it is very hot. Recently, there have been predictions that a power supply warning might soon be issued. This warning has not been issued since August 2013. Germany suffered huge losses from floods, and although there is no direct evidence, everyone suspects climate change. Electricity demand will increase, renewable energy alone will be insufficient, and in this situation, the switches of nuclear power and coal must be turned off. The foreign proverb "You can’t have your cake and eat it" comes to mind. Whatever choice we make, we must accept inconvenience and sacrifice. Looking at recent climate change, it feels like it is already too late.

By Byeongmin Kim, Adjunct Professor, Nano Convergence School, Hallym University