Power transmission and distribution network construction projects are being delayed across the country, worsening bottlenecks. With electricity demand surging on the back of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and other factors, concerns are mounting that delayed transmission grid construction could hold back corporate investment and hiring.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on the 30th that it is revising the implementation plans for five power development projects, including the "154 kV Gijang-Jangan transmission line construction project." The power development project implementation plan is a framework under the Electric Source Development Promotion Act designed to efficiently advance large-scale power supply development projects.
The issue is that project timelines were also extended during the plan revisions. The Gijang-Jangan transmission line, intended to deliver power to the Southeast Radiation Medical and Science Industrial Complex — a hub for power semiconductors — was originally scheduled for completion in October next year. But after local governments demanded that transmission towers be built underground, the completion date was pushed back by a year. Construction periods for four of the five projects revised in the announcement were each extended by one year.
Experts warn that failing to expand the power grid in a timely manner will leave Korea unable to cope with industrial shifts such as electrification and AI data centers. The steering committee for the 12th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand estimates that electricity consumption will reach 694.1 TWh by 2040, up as much as 26.3% from last year.
