Korea conceives smart grid in Jeju

JEJU -- Even as the world is rapidly moving toward the green future by developing all sorts of up-to-date technologies, one cannot help but raise question about how to plug in electric cars in various locations just before it stops in the middle of the road.

Countries across the globe are spending millions of dollars to develop green energies but they also have to solve the problem of how to conserve natural energy sources.

Experts say that smart gird, the new electricity power distribution system based on information technology, is one of the ultimate answers for the green growth. In Korea, the new system is being tested at a small town located in the northwestern part of the southern Jeju Island.



Gujwa-eup, a town consisted of 12 small farm villages, has been named as a pilot community for smart grid technology last month by the Korean government, as a part of its effort to commercialize the new electric grid system.

The country plans to establish the world`s first national smart grid and create a smart grid market worth about 20 trillion won ($16 billion).

The state-run Korea Electricity Power Corp. is currently in charge of transforming the small town in Jeju into a carbon-free, energy-efficient community with the use of smart grid system. The government plans to complete the construction of the smart grid test bed by 2013.

Once the grid is complete, the 6,000 residents of the town will have smart digital sensor or meter that monitors or controls the two-way flow of energy from power plant to plug.

"The 6,000 households in Gujwa-eup consumers would be able to maximize the energy efficiency by checking on smart meters attached to their home appliances," a KEPCO official said.

"The pilot community is the first step of the country`s ambitious plan on establishing a nationwide smart grid network," he said.

The planned test-bed will visualize how future residents would have their lives improved through a better energy network system, officials said.

Electricity charging stations, instead of the conventional gas stations, will be built to supply energy for plug-in electric vehicles within the Gujwa region. Smart electricity meters will be installed as well in schools, apartments and even factories to enhance energy conservation.

The large-scale experiment will also incorporate renewable energies such as wind and solar generations and show how it can interact locally with distributed power sources.

The Korea Institute of Energy Research Center is currently testing the operation of a wind power generator capable of 500 kilowatt on the smart grid test-bed. It is also pushing ahead with the construction of sea wind power generators in the waters off Jeju sea. The planned offshore wind power generators capable of producing 2 megawatt are the first project case in Asia, Nam Jung-hyeon, chief of Jeju Research Center, an affiliate of KIER said.

Thanks to the advanced technical knowhow of the local civil engineering companies, Korea will install sea wind generators manufactured by 80 percent of local products.

"This (the planned offshore wind power project) will give the country an opportunity to export products and techniques to other country," Nam said.

Korea can become one of the leading smart grid developer in the future thanks to its advanced IT skills and strong manufacturing bases.

"Smart grid technology is not just related to energy businesses. It is the foundation of the development of other related industries such as home appliance, construction, IT and the fuel-cell battery industry," Park Jong-dae, electronic engineering dept. at Konkuk University in Seoul, said.

"Korea with its excellent IT and manufacturing infrastructure, chances are high for the country to become one of the leading countries on green technology," Park added.

If created a high-tech nationwide electricity grid will generate a new market of 68 trillion won and create 500,000 temporary jobs, and reduce the country`s power consumption by 3 percent by 2030, the government said.

(christory@heraldm.com)

By Cho Chung-un