Doosan Enerbility Wins 330 Billion Won Main Equipment Order for Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant in North Chungcheong Province

Supply of Key Equipment for Yeongdong Pumped Storage Plant in North Chungcheong Province
First Application of Variable-Speed Facility with KHNP
Targeting Completion in 2030... Infrastructure for Expanding Renewable Energy

Doosan Enerbility has signed a contract worth 330 billion won with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) for the supply of main equipment for Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant Units 1 and 2. This order is for a project that will, for the first time in Korea, apply a "variable-speed pumped storage facility" capable of adjusting power output. The project is expected to become a key foundation for the future expansion of renewable energy.

The two companies held a contract signing ceremony on the 20th at the KHNP Radiation Health Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. They agreed to design, manufacture, and install essential equipment such as water turbines, generators, and control systems required for the construction of the Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant in Yeongdong-gun, North Chungcheong Province. Pumped storage is a method of generating electricity by using surplus electricity to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, and then releasing the water to generate power when electricity demand is high. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), as of 2023, pumped storage accounts for 66.5% of global energy storage system (ESS) capacity.

Hwang Juho, President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (left), and Chung Yeonin, Vice Chairman of Doosan Enerbility, attended the contract signing ceremony for the main equipment supply of Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant Units 1 and 2 at the KHNP Radiation Health Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 20th and took a commemorative photo. Doosan Enerbility

The Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant will be built in North Chungcheong Province with a total capacity of 500 MW (two 250 MW units). The target for completion is 2030. This will be the first new pumped storage plant in about 14 years since the construction of the Yecheon Pumped Storage Power Plant in 2011. Notably, the Yeongdong project will be the first in Korea to apply variable-speed technology, allowing for flexible adjustment of power output. This technology can play a decisive role in stabilizing the power quality of intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, and is regarded as the most representative energy storage system (ESS) infrastructure.

Doosan Enerbility plans to use this contract as an opportunity to establish a solid foundation for the localization of pumped storage equipment. The company is also working to internalize the technology in collaboration with Andritz, a global supplier of pumped storage equipment based in Austria.

Chung Yeonin, Vice Chairman of Doosan Enerbility, stated, "It is very meaningful for us to participate in the construction of Korea's first variable-speed pumped storage power plant," and added, "Based on our cooperation with KHNP, we will strengthen the technological foundation for domestically produced equipment that is essential for the expansion of renewable energy."

The government, through the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, plans to build a total of nine additional pumped storage power plants with a combined capacity of 5.7 GW by 2037. In the second half of the year, the selection of new operators for a 1.25 GW project is scheduled.