KEPCO conducted a power emergency power drill to ramp up response posture against emergency cases at the Integrated Disaster Situation room of KEPCO headquarters in Naju, Jeollanam-do, on July 20.

President Chung Seung-il of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) (Photos: KEPCO)

Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) has established an emergency power supply regime to brace for a surge in power demand, coupled with this year’s summer heat spell and rising industrial production.

KEPCO said on July 22 the power company had devoted itself to ensuring a stable power supply during summer season.

The nation’s power supply capacity has soared to 99,174MW on the second week of August, this year’s power demand peak period, an increase of 1,223MW over last year, but reserve margin is expected to be getting lower due to a surge in power demand for air-conditioners, caused by a heat wave, and production rise, coupled with the recovery of the national economy.

Power demand for air-conditioners is forecast to surge between a minimum of 338MW and a maximum of 3,838MW during this summer than that of the worst-ever heat wave in 2018.

Power consumption is predicted to rise on the back of rising exports by power-gulfing industries such as semiconductor, automobile and machinery equipment.

Power consumption during the January-July period rose to 302,823GWh in 2019 but declined to 294,320GWh in 2020.

It is predicted to soar to 305,416GWh, a 3.8 percent increase over the same period of the previous year.

Against this backdrop, a power supply and demand countermeasure situation room has been operated at the KEPCO headquarters and 244 site operations across the nation to prime them for preparation against emergency cases since July 5.

KEPCO is also maintaining a close cooperation with power companies, the Korea Power Exchange and large-volume consumers to brace for emergency cases.

KEPCO has already signed contracts with 159 household clients to adjust demand for emergency conservation to secure a 885MW demand resource.

KEPCO plans to share information on power supply and demand with 11,967 large-volume household contractors of 3,000kW or more and ask for them to cooperate in conservation in peak time. The large-volume consumers account for almost half of power sales.

KEPCO has already finished preparatory work such as prior inspection and replacement of power facilities in areas in which power consumption is expected to surge, the easing of the overload of the power grid and check-up into countermeasures against apartment blackouts.

A special inspection has made into 239,124 places such as river embankments and districts vulnerable to floods as well as 2,289 rain water pumping and drainage facilities, so 3,000 tranformers with possible overload have been replaced.

KEPCO conducted a power emergency power drill to ramp up response posture against emergency cases at the Integrated Disaster Situation room of KEPCO headquarters in Naju, Jeollanam-do, in which given tasks were performed according to each emergency state.

The drill proceeded according to each emergency stage, assuming that power generations broke down at a situation in which extraordinary high temperatures fueled power consumption.

In particular, KEPCO is allowed to remotely control air-conditions of buildings owned by contract clients in return for paying support money.