Lee Jong-suk, head of the Planning and Management Division at the Korea Southern Power Co. (KOSPO), poses with KOSPO officials and outside councilors after announcing strategies to implement the KOSPO Industry 4.0 Initiative at a seminar held at the Busan International Financing Center on March 24. 

(Photo: KOSPO).

Korea Southern Power Co. (KOSPO) has unveiled a blueprint for creating a model of the so-called Industry 4.0 Initiative, calling for realizing “smart power plant” combining new ICT. The plan is in line with KOSPO’s scheme to explore breakthroughs in the saturated Korean power generation industry by thinking out of the box and secure leadership in the global power market. KOSPO boasts the world’s highest-ever power operation track record, a near-perfection shutdown rate of 0.028 percent and the world’s top reliability facility rating of 99.97 percent. 

KOSPO announced strategies to implement the “KOSPO Industry 4.0” Initiative on March 24. In order to realize “smart plants” by 2020, KOSPO will expand operation and management based on the IoT infrastructure; develop prediction models through big data analyses; utilize artificial intelligence; and improve working conditions through infrastructure expansion and enhance job efficiency.

KOSPO, which now uses IoT technology for power generation facility maintenance and materials management, plans to expand the technology to the supplementing of eco-friendly facilities and new and renewable energy generation. IoT technology will allow KOSPO to ensure real-time analysis of such facilities as denitrification, desulfurization, and dust collection facilities and establish optimal greenhouse gas emission reduction measures. It is also designed to realize “smart-eco” power plants by remotely controlling photovoltaic power, wind power and tidal power plants. 

A wind power tower operation inspection system, built by KOSPO, which is now in operation, is an example of applying IoT technology. A wind power generator is required to ensure safety of structures due to wind load and vibratory ground motion. KOSPO has installed measuring instruments at Seongsan and Hangyeong Wind Power Plants to improve their operation rate. This effort has paid off: The wind power facility operation rose from 95.2 percent in 2014 to 95.6 percent in 2015 and 96.3 percent in 2016, setting the global highest-ever record for the third straight year. The power company succeeded in reducing the inspection time of wind power facilities using drones by five to six hours. 

KOSPO plans to utilize prediction diagnoses by collecting and analyzing big data in real time to predict glitches in facilities and enhance power generation efficiency. An integrated data management platform will be established to draw up optimal fuel procurement options and predict funds to reduce unit prices and promote management efficiency. 

KOSPO is expediting the application of technologies combining ICT deemed essential for power generation sites, and the power company is carrying out research tasks in cooperation with industry and academic circles to comply with the Government 3.0 Initiative. The power company is offering a helping hand to its cooperative companies to nurture them into SME superstars by making joint R&D investments, transferring new technologies, and providing support to their commercialization. 

First, KOSPO plans to transfer data on power generation sites to its cooperative companies so they can build a platform to protect products and nurture new industries. KOSPO’s provisioning of big data of the international wind power center to its cooperative wind power companies has contributed to seeing the latter’s sales increase by 370 million won and creating jobs. 

KOSPO plans to add artificial intelligence technology to power generation sites by forging strategic alliances with global A.I. companies specializing in advanced A.I. engines. The move is designed to solve some long-standing headaches, finding the right time to remove soot from the inside of boilers or ashes by developing prediction diagnosis solutions using the A.I. technology in order to enhance the efficiency of power plants. KOSPO plans to build mobile infrastructure to handle data of power plant sites swiftly, and establish an IoT network model for power generation with outside companies. 

KOSPO plans to overhaul an information security regime to ensure safety while introducing new technologies. 

KOSPO President Yoon Jong-geun said, “We’re focusing on innovating management, creating future value by applying premier ICT technologies and nurturing key manpower to lead the KOSPO Industry 4.0 Initiative.”