Integrated Real-Time Connection of Dispersed Power Grid Information
by Korea Power Exchange, KEPCO, and Others
As the heatwave continues and electricity demand rises, an official is checking the power supply situation at the System Operation Center of the Power Management Department, Korea Electric Power Corporation Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on the 2nd. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 25th that, starting this month, it will begin full-scale operation of an integrated control system that links transmission and distribution power grid information in real time, in cooperation with Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea Power Exchange, and other organizations.
On the same day, the ministry held the "Power Grid Innovation Forum" at Josun Palace in Gangnam, Seoul, where it reviewed the current status of the integrated power grid control system and discussed future improvements. In addition, policy directions for building AI-based intelligent power grids and expanding the acceptance of renewable energy were discussed.
The amount of power generated by renewable energy facilities fluctuates significantly depending on external factors such as weather. As a result, the importance of real-time output control is increasing, and sharing information between institutions is a key task for precise implementation. In fact, the installed capacity of renewable energy generators among commercial power generators increased more than fourfold over the past decade, from 7.42GW (7.6%) in 2015 to 36.4GW (23.5%) this year.
Until now, the Korea Power Exchange has managed transmission network resources (154kV and above), while KEPCO has managed transmission and distribution network resources (below 154kV) separately. Because this information was dispersed, there have been concerns about the limitations in achieving rapid output control, especially during periods of low demand in spring and autumn.
In response, power authorities have been working to integrate information since April last year. With the establishment of the new system, the power purchase agreement (PPA) generation managed by KEPCO will now be managed in real time based on actual measurements through the system connected to the Korea Power Exchange, and output control information will also be linked using the Renewable Energy Information Sharing System. This is expected to significantly improve both the response speed and efficiency of power system operations.
The power authorities plan to complete the second phase of the integrated control system, further enhancing the level and speed of information integration, by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the ministry is also pursuing a revision of the "Grid-Code" to ensure that renewable energy facilities can be stably connected to the power grid. The real-time integrated control system and the Grid-Code revision will serve as the foundation for transitioning to an AI-based intelligent power grid, enabling precise assessment and real-time control of the grid in the future.
Choi Namho, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "Advancing the integrated control system is an essential task for expanding renewable energy and ensuring the stability of the power grid," and added, "We will continue our policy efforts to transition to an intelligent power grid incorporating AI technology."
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