Korea Electric Power Corporation has completed all consultations with local residents in the construction section of the East Coast-Dongseoul high-voltage direct current transmission network (HVDC). The only remaining procedure is the approval for the Dongseoul converter station in Hanam.
On the 11th, KEPCO announced that it has achieved 100% agreement with residents from 79 villages in North Gyeongsang, Gangwon, and Gyeonggi provinces that the East Coast-Dongseoul HVDC transmission line passes through.
The project is the largest and longest HVDC initiative in South Korea, spanning 280 kilometers from Ulleung near the East Coast to Hanam, and involving 436 transmission towers. Although progress has been delayed due to opposition from some local governments and residents, this agreement is expected to provide momentum.
However, an agreement with Hanam city regarding the expansion of the Dongseoul transformer station has not yet been reached. If the expansion of the Dongseoul converter station is not completed, there will be a situation where, despite constructing the entire 280 kilometers of transmission lines, there will not be a transformer station to receive the electricity.
The project for the expansion of the Dongseoul transformer station is currently justified following the cancellation of Hanam's permit denial by the Gyeonggi Administrative Appeals Commission in December of last year. However, since then, Hanam has only processed approvals for preliminary projects necessary for the construction of the transformer station and has delayed the approval for the expansion of the conversion facility, citing a lack of community acceptance.
In response, KEPCO plans to discuss the design of the transformer and converter stations through a 'Noise and Landscape Improvement Cooperative Council' operated with residents, and establish an HVDC communication lounge to devise development plans for the areas around the Dongseoul transformer station.
Kim Dong-chul, president of KEPCO, noted, 'Active cooperation from local residents and governments is needed to prevent any situation that would hinder the expansion of the national power grid and result in losses for the entire country,' and added, 'KEPCO will do its best to complete the project in a timely manner.'