Kim Sung-hwan, the Minister of Climate Energy Environment, stated that he would ensure there are no disruptions to power supply in other regions while considering dedicated transformers for early power supply to the Honam Semiconductor Industrial Complex.
During a comprehensive national audit session of the Climate Energy Environment Labor Committee on October 26, Minister Kim responded to a query from lawmaker Yoon Jae-ok of the People Power Party, noting that he had just seen the related content on the inquiry screen. He assured that he would review the situation to prevent any impact on power supply in other areas.
According to Yoon's office, the ministry proposed reallocating transformer quantities from other projects and prioritizing the procurement of cables and junction boxes to expedite the first phase of power supply construction for the Honam Semiconductor Complex from the end of 2029 to the end of 2028.
The proposed transformer reallocation targets five substations: the Daegu 345kV Sindalsung Substation, the Gyeongnam Geoje 154kV Sadeung Substation, the Jeonnam Yeosu 154kV Junghung Substation, and the Busan 154kV Sinhang and Busan Port Substations. These substations are intended to supply power to local industrial complexes and development areas. The Sindalsung Substation is designed to meet the power demand of the Daegu National Industrial Complex and surrounding areas, while the Sadeung Substation addresses the power needs of the western Geoje development area. The Junghung Substation is set to respond to the new and increased power demands of the Yeosu National Industrial Complex, and the Sinhang and Busan Port Substations will supply power to the hinterland of the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone and the North Port redevelopment area.
Lawmaker Yoon expressed concerns that reallocating transformers could affect the power supply schedule and corporate investments in existing regions, especially since the completion of these substations has already been delayed. The Sindalsung Substation was initially scheduled for completion in April 2024, but the current target has been pushed back to December 2028, a delay of four years and eight months. Yoon's office pointed out that if the transformer reallocation leads to a new completion goal of October 2030, it could result in a total delay of six years and six months compared to the original plan.
The Sadeung, Junghung, Sinhang, and Busan Port Substations are also mentioned as projects that have faced significant delays or are at risk of further postponements. Yoon emphasized that even if the power supply timeline for the Honam Semiconductor Complex is accelerated, it should not come at the expense of delaying the power grid construction in other regions.
He further warned that changes to the promised power supply schedule could increase investment uncertainty for local businesses and called for a halt to the reallocation of substation materials. He urged the government to gather opinions from local governments and industry stakeholders while continuing to advance existing substation projects and seeking alternatives to shorten the construction period for the Honam Semiconductor Complex.
In response, Minister Kim stated, "I will ensure that there are no disruptions to power supply in other regions," and added, "I will conduct a comprehensive review and report back separately."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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