[National Policy Planning Committee Report] West Coast by 2030, Korean Peninsula by 2040... Construction of the "Energy Expressway"

Connecting Renewable Energy Nationwide and Establishing RE100 Industrial Complexes
Supporting Exports and Regional Balance with an 8 Trillion Won HVDC Network
Enhancing Competitiveness by Expanding Solar and Wind Power Grids

The Lee Jae-myung administration has unveiled a plan to strengthen the foundation of the innovation economy, including artificial intelligence (AI), by building the "West Coast Energy Expressway" in the 2030s and completing the "Korean Peninsula Energy Expressway" in the 2040s. The government aims to support export competitiveness for businesses and balanced regional growth through a major energy transition centered on solar and wind power, as well as the creation of RE100 industrial complexes.

The Presidential National Policy Planning Committee announced these initiatives as part of the "123 Major Policy Tasks of the Lee Jae-myung Administration" at a public report conference on the 13th. The "construction of the energy expressway" was designated as a key task led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and was also included among the 12 core strategic projects.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the National Policy Planning Committee Public Report Conference held at the Blue House State Guest House on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News

The energy expressway refers to a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission network project that will deliver electricity generated from the Honam renewable energy cluster to demand centers such as the Seoul metropolitan area. The plan is to first construct the HVDC along the West Coast axis in the 2030s, then expand it to the South and East Coasts, ultimately completing a nationwide U-shaped network in the 2040s. The West Coast HVDC will cover the Sinhaenam-Taean-Seo Incheon (430 km) and Saemangeum-Taean-Yeongheung (190 km) sections, with a total investment of 7.9 trillion won. The transmission capacity will reach 8GW. The government intends to ensure public acceptance and open the network without construction delays.

Expansion of the power grid will also proceed in parallel. The length of transmission lines will be increased by more than 30%, from the current 37,169 circuit kilometers (c-km) to 48,592 c-km by 2030. This measure is in line with the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, which calls for an increase in renewable energy facility capacity from 30GW in 2023 to 121.9GW in 2038.

The National Policy Planning Committee has set a target of securing at least 78GW of renewable energy facility capacity by 2030. Efforts will include the development of offshore wind farms and dedicated ports, the expansion of agrivoltaic, floating, and industrial complex solar power, and the establishment of RE100 industrial complexes to meet the renewable energy demands of global companies. The early construction of the Jeonnam RE100 industrial complex and the southeastern Gyeonggi RE100 semiconductor cluster is also included.

Initiatives will also be launched to create "Sunlight and Wind Pensions," which share generation profits with local residents, and to establish energy self-sufficient villages. Plans for introducing two nuclear power plants and one small modular reactor (SMR) were not separately presented. Song Kyunghee, Chair of the Economic Division II of the National Policy Planning Committee, stated, "If the Gyeongbu Expressway and high-speed internet network laid the foundation for industrialization and informatization, we will open a new future with the AI and energy expressways."