Sleeping Multi-Million Won Drones... Energy Public Corporation Budget Leaking Rapidly

Five Energy Public Enterprises Including KEPCO Spend Over 800 Million Won on 26 Drones
Introduced to Align with Government's 'Public Sector Drone Activation' Policy... Used Only About Once a Year

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Korea Southern Power Co. (KOSPO) introduced two drones costing 16 million won in August 2017 to inspect wind power facilities in Jeju. The intention was to use drones to reduce blind spots in inspecting wind turbine blades, which are difficult to access on site. However, over the past four years, these drones have been used only once. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) also purchased a drone worth 33 million won in September 2020 to inspect transmission and distribution facilities in Incheon but did not use it even once in a year.

It has been revealed that energy public enterprises often purchase drones worth tens of millions of won but do not use them even once a year. This is the result of buying drones without any utilization plans just to align with the government's policy to promote drones in the public sector, raising concerns that public enterprises are wasting budgets in various places.

According to data submitted on the 25th by the office of Yang Geum-hee, a member of the People Power Party, from major energy public enterprises, five companies including KEPCO, Korea Gas Corporation, Korea South-East Power, Korea Southern Power, and Korea East-West Power have spent a total of 815.52 million won to purchase 26 drones costing over 5 million won each. KEPCO spent the most at 317.05 million won for 12 drones, followed by Korea East-West Power (191.13 million won for 3 drones), Korea South-East Power (151.27 million won for 5 drones), Korea Southern Power (89 million won for 3 drones), and Korea Gas Corporation (67.07 million won for 3 drones).

Looking at drone usage records, it was common for drones not to be operated even once a year. KEPCO’s Equipment Diagnosis Department introduced a drone worth 8.67 million won in 2018 but used it only once each in 2019 and 2020, and twice this year. Korea Gas Corporation headquarters purchased a drone worth 7.07 million won in 2016 but used it twice in 2016 and three times in 2017, with no usage since 2018. A 10 million won drone introduced in Jeju in 2018 was never used.

Korea South-East Power introduced a drone worth 43 million won at Yeongheung Power Plant in 2017 but used it only once or twice annually in 2017 and 2018, with no operation since 2019. At Samcheonpo Power Plant, a drone worth about 5 million won for equipment inspection was purchased in 2015 but only had one test flight in 2021, six years later. Korea East-West Power purchased a drone worth 75.2 million won in 2019 aiming for daily use but used it only six times in 2020 and eleven times in 2021.

Energy public enterprises began actively introducing drones from 2017, when the government’s policy to promote drones in the public sector was announced, to address blind spots in power facility inspection and management. However, there are criticisms within these organizations that there are no actual utilization plans and that the ability to use drones is lacking, resulting in budget waste.

According to Korea East-West Power’s 2018 drone purchase plan, the then CEO reduced the number of drones to be purchased from four to two, citing concerns about low utilization related to expanding drone purchases and operations by business sites. KEPCO also issued a warning to employees who indiscriminately purchased drones during a recent comprehensive audit. In April, KEPCO’s Standing Auditor, through a comprehensive audit of the Management Support Department and Equipment Diagnosis Department, stated, “It was reasonable to use the drones already owned before purchasing more, but unnecessary purchases caused budget waste,” and issued a caution to the responsible employees.