[AI Era Electric Power is National Power]⑧ Despite the Passage of the Power Grid Act, the Hanam-Kepco Conflict is 'Ongoing'

Donghaean-Metropolitan Transmission Line "Terminus"
Groundbreaking Delayed for Dongseoul Substation in Hanam
Power Plants Built, But Electricity Can't Reach the Metropolitan Area
Bukdangjin-Sintangjeong Transmission Line Faces Record Delays
Renewable Energy Generation in Honam Region Also Hit Hard
Power Grid Expansion Act Passed,
But Tasks Remain, Such as Amending Enforcement Ordinances

On the 28th of last month, in Gam-il District, Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, banners claiming "Strong Opposition to the Expansion of Dongseoul Substation" were posted all over the streets. There were also placards from the opposing party criticizing Hanam Mayor Lee Hyun-jae. The conflict between Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) over the substation expansion is still ongoing.

In December last year, the Gyeonggi Province Administrative Appeals Commission ruled in favor of KEPCO in an administrative lawsuit filed against Hanam City, which had denied the construction permit for the Dongseoul Substation. KEPCO plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony this month for the indoor construction and expansion of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission at the Dongseoul Substation, but the implementation remains uncertain at present.

Regarding this, a Hanam City official said on the 14th, "We are currently conducting a public inspection of the revised implementation plan, but the timing of the construction permit and groundbreaking is unknown." This is because a political judgment is required separately from administrative procedures. Recently, KEPCO has been forming consultative bodies with residents to discuss compensation measures and other issues.

KEPCO and Hanam City signed a business agreement in October 2023 to promote the expansion of the Dongseoul Substation. However, in August last year, Hanam City suddenly revoked the construction permit citing residents' health rights. Nearby residents of Hanam City and Gam-il District also raised opposition voices, expressing concerns about electromagnetic wave emissions.

KEPCO filed an administrative lawsuit against Hanam City, and the Gyeonggi Province Administrative Appeals Commission ruled in favor of KEPCO, ordering the issuance of the construction permit. KEPCO explained that even when measuring electromagnetic waves at the nearest apartment, the levels are well below the standard. They also stated that the Dongseoul Substation would be built as a resident-friendly substation, with about 120 employees working there to demonstrate that electromagnetic waves are not harmful.

Banners opposing the expansion of the Dongseoul Substation within the apartment complex in Hanam Gam-il District and criticizing Hanam Mayor Lee Hyun-jae are hung side by side. Photo by Kang Hee-jong

Expansion of the substation is essential to ensure smooth electricity supply to the metropolitan area. In particular, the Dongseoul Substation, opposed by Hanam residents, serves as the terminus of the Donghaean-Metropolitan transmission line currently under construction. This transmission line was promoted to send electricity generated from nuclear and thermal power plants concentrated on the East Coast to the metropolitan area.

Until now, the Bukpyeong Coal Power Plant in Donghae City and the Samcheok Blue Power Plant in Samcheok City had to halt operations due to a lack of means to transmit electricity. This was because the power generation capacity in the East Coast region was 17.8 GW, while the transmission capacity was only 14.5 GW, which was insufficient. On the other hand, the metropolitan area, densely packed with industrial complexes, faced electricity shortages, making the construction of transmission lines urgent.

The Donghaean-Metropolitan transmission line was a solution to this imbalance. The first phase, the Donghaean-Singapyeong transmission line, connects 230 km from Uljin, Gyeongbuk to Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province via transmission towers. The second phase, the Donghaean-Dongseoul transmission line, connects a 50 km section from Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province to the Dongseoul Substation in Hanam.

Once the Donghaean-Metropolitan transmission line and substation expansion are completed, the thermal power plants halted on the East Coast can operate properly, alleviating the power shortage in the metropolitan area. However, due to opposition from local residents and local governments, the construction of the Donghaean-Metropolitan transmission line has been indefinitely delayed, pushing back the original target from December 2019 by 66 months.

Indoor conversion and expansion plan for Hanam Dongseoul Substation. Provided by Korea Electric Power Corporation

The conflict between Hanam and KEPCO over the substation reflects the NIMBY phenomenon (Not In My Backyard) surrounding power issues in local governments. Large-scale power consumption such as semiconductor and advanced industrial complexes and the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is mainly concentrated in the metropolitan area, while power generation is primarily concentrated in Jeonnam, Gyeongnam, and Chungnam provinces. The greater the distance between power generation and demand sites, the deeper the conflicts become.

The 345 kV transmission line connecting Bukdangjin and Sintangjeong, which began power supply last December, was delayed by a staggering 150 months. This project was planned in 2003 with a target completion date of June 2012, but due to resident opposition and other issues, construction only began in 2014. Since then, the completion date has been postponed six times, setting the longest delay record in domestic transmission and distribution network construction history.

The 345 kV Dangjin Thermal Power Plant to Sinsongsan transmission line is expected to be completed 90 months late, and the 345 kV Sintangjin to Bukdangjin transmission line 66 months late.

Delays in power grid construction are also impacting renewable energy generation. Although solar power facilities are continuously increasing in the Honam region, frequent output control occurs due to insufficient transmission capacity. KEPCO is promoting the construction of a 345 kV transmission line in Jangseong to solve the power grid problem in the Honam region, but due to collective complaints and non-cooperation from local governments in permits, it is delayed by 77 months beyond the original schedule.

The damage has directly affected local residents. As the transmission network became saturated, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy designated 205 substations nationwide, where renewable energy power demand exceeds production, as system management substations. Among these, 164 substations are in the Honam area. Since September last year, power grid connections to system management substations have been restricted until 2031. In effect, this has halted new solar power permits.

Fortunately, with the passage of the National Power Grid Expansion Special Act in late February, there is a prospect that conflicts surrounding transmission line construction will ease somewhat. The Power Grid Expansion Act includes provisions to shift the core power grid construction projects, previously promoted individually by KEPCO, to national leadership.

This law requires the government to establish a basic plan for national power grid expansion every five years and to set up a National Power Grid Expansion Committee under the Prime Minister to mediate and resolve conflicts. For implementation plans related to power grid construction, local governments must collect residents' opinions within 60 days, reducing the burden on project operators.

Additionally, once approval is obtained for the implementation plan of national power grid development projects, it is deemed that other permits under different laws have been granted, streamlining the complex permit process. The law also provides a basis for project operators to offer special compensation to surrounding residents such as homeowners and landowners, opening a path for residents to receive appropriate compensation.

However, there remain significant tasks such as the enactment of enforcement ordinances. Professor Yoo Seung-hoon of Seoul National University of Science and Technology said, "Most of the necessary content is included in the Power Grid Expansion Act itself, but I hope the follow-up measures such as enforcement ordinances and rules are properly completed."

KEPCO stated, "After the passage of the Special Act, KEPCO will promptly establish an internal implementation system during the six-month grace period to ensure smooth enforcement of the Special Act."