PARIS & SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business recently completed an upgrade to one of two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) links between the South Korean mainland and Jeju Island, allowing for more efficient bi-directional transfer of power, including renewable energy.
South Korea’s first HVDC upgrade ever includes the first commercial application of Grid Solution’s most advanced Line Commutated Converter (LCC) valve technology, the H450, as well as an upgrade to the control system and cooling system. Thanks to the upgraded control system, both the refurbished 300-MW link and the second 400-MW link are now using GE’s latest algorithms for maintaining grid frequency, providing higher reliability and more robust operational control.
The HVDC refurbishment was done exceptionally fast, in accordance with Korea’s largest electric utility Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO’s) 24-month deadline. Within this timeframe, the link continued to operate except for an amazingly small window of about three months.
The innovative H450 valve technology was developed by GE’s Grid Integration Solutions, a division of GE’s Grid Solutions, at its HVDC Center of Excellence in Stafford, UK. Thanks to its smaller physical footprint compared with the previous valve technology, GE was able to install it within the existing valve hall.
“The reinforcement of the grid to accompany the renewable energy generation objective of the Korean government is critical. HVDC transmission, and specifically this upgrade project for Jeju Island, is a critical enabler of this energy transition in Korea,” said Kim Sung-Arm, Member of the Board of Directors and Senior Executive Vice President for Power Grid, KEPCO.
Jeju Island, located 100 km south of the peninsula mainland, is the center of smart grid investments and energy efficiency projects in the country. KEPCO is supporting the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province as it moves toward the goal of a 2030 Carbon Neutral Island. Wind and solar farms generate power for the island, and the bi-directional HVDC link now enables any excess power to be transmitted back to the mainland.
To see the full release, go to: https://www.gegridsolutions.com/press/gepress/GE_Completes_South_Korea_First_HVDC_Upgrade_on_Schedule.htm
About GE’s Grid Solutions:
Grid Solutions, a GE Renewable Energy business, serves customers globally with about 17,000 employees in approximately 80 countries. Grid Solutions helps utilities and industry maximize the reliability, efficiency and resilience of the grid by enabling effectively management of electricity from the point of generation to the point of consumption. For more about Grid Solutions, visit www.gegridsolutions.com.
