South Korea to expand renewable energy grid access in Honam and Chungcheong

The South Korean government has announced a ‘Power Grid Innovation Measure’ to maximize the capacity of existing infrastructure and facilitate the connection of new renewable energy sources. Starting October 1, the designation of certain grid-management substations in the Honam and Chungcheong regions will be lifted, allowing new renewable energy plants to connect to the grid.

To achieve the national goal of accommodating over 100GW of renewable energy by 2030, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment is introducing a ‘flexible connection system.’ This allows facilities to connect even if they exceed standard capacity limits, provided they agree to output control during peak congestion periods. Additionally, the government will utilize Energy Storage Systems (ESS) to manage supply and demand, effectively increasing grid capacity without immediate new construction.

The plan also targets ‘grid squatting,’ where entities secure connection rights without proceeding with actual projects. The government intends to reclaim these rights from stalled or non-existent projects, which is expected to free up approximately 10GW of connection capacity for offshore wind projects in the Honam region alone.