Environment ministry to draft DC industry plan after roundtable

The environment ministry said Wednesday it will formulate a comprehensive plan to activate the direct current industry in the third quarter, following a roundtable discussion held to address growing power demands from data centers and renewable energy facilities.

Minister Kim Sung-hwan convened the meeting at the Power Infrastructure Center in Yeongdepo-gu, Seoul, bringing together representatives from Korea Electric Power Corp, research institutes and major manufacturers including LS Electric, HD Hyundai Electric and LG Electronics.

"The DC industry is a critical field that will determine the competitiveness of the future power industry as demand expands from renewable energy, energy storage systems and data centers," Kim said. "We will foster this sector as a future export industry so that the technology and experience accumulated domestically can lead to export competitiveness for our companies."

Participants reviewed the current status of the domestic DC sector and debated plans for introducing DC distribution networks alongside institutional support measures. Korea Electric Power Corp presented its roadmap for deploying DC grids, while LS Electric and Hyosung Heavy Industries offered recommendations on private sector initiatives and necessary policy adjustments.

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute outlined key technological and regulatory hurdles that must be overcome. The ministry intends to finalize its activation strategy in the third quarter based on opinions raised during the session.

Earlier in the day, Kim visited the Yangju Converter Station in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, to inspect the back-to-back facility where domestic 200-megawatt class ultra-high voltage DC transmission technology was applied for the first time. He urged participating firms to increase investment to strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic ultra-high voltage transmission sector.

Korea Electric Power Corp President Kim Dong-chul stated that DC technology has moved beyond the research phase and must now expand into actual markets. "KEPCO will work with the government and industry to discover representative projects and build a DC industrial ecosystem where business, technology and regulations develop together," he said.