This blog post examines the concept and technical basis of the Northeast Asia Super Grid, as well as its potential political implications for regional security and cooperation.
Recently, there has been much discussion about the Northeast Asia Super Grid. The Northeast Asia Super Grid is a project that aims to efficiently manage electricity by producing electricity in Mongolia and Russia, which are rich in clean energy resources such as solar, wind, and hydro power, which vary greatly from region to region, and supplying it to South Korea, China, and Japan. So, what exactly is super grid technology?
A supergrid is a technology that connects smart grids between countries so that multiple countries can share electrical energy. A smart grid is a next-generation strategic network that adds information and communication technology (ICT) to existing power grids to enable two-way, real-time exchange of information on power production and consumption, thereby increasing energy efficiency. Supergrids are also called “megagrids” or “continental grids” because they mainly deal with continent-wide power grids, and they mainly use renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Among the supergrids currently under discussion, the three most frequently mentioned are the “Nordic Supergrid,” the “Southern European Supergrid,” and the “African Supergrid.”
Since supergrids are technologies that connect power grids between countries, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology is the most important component. HVDC is a next-generation power transmission technology that converts alternating current (AC) generated at power plants into direct current (DC), transmits it to where it is needed, and then converts it back to AC before supplying it to consumers. The reason for converting to DC is that DC has the advantage of less power loss during transmission than AC and can be constructed without distance limitations. Unlike AC, DC does not generate electromagnetic fields, so there are fewer electromagnetic waves generated from transmission lines. In relation to HVDC, Korea Electric Power Corporation is conducting its first pilot project in Korea, connecting Dangjin in Chungcheongnam-do to Godeok in Gyeonggi-do. Submarine cable technology is also essential for connecting power grids between countries. Previously, Korea Electric Power Corporation built two submarine HVDC lines connecting Jeju Island and the mainland. However, frequent failures at the conversion stations require the development of technology that can sufficiently verify safety. In addition, in the case of the Northeast Asia Super Grid, there is a possibility that an unprecedentedly long connection network of 1,200 km will be promoted, so technology to increase the transmission distance limit must also be researched.
In Northern Europe, the level of HVDC technology and submarine cable technology is significantly higher than in South Korea. Interconnection of power grids between countries began in 1915, and in 2008, a 583 km long-distance submarine power grid was connected across the sea. Based on this technological capability, North Sea coastal countries such as Germany, the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, and Norway established a project promotion organization called Friends of the Supergrid (FOSG) in 2009 and began promoting the North European Supergrid project. In June 2016, they adopted the “Policy Declaration on Energy Cooperation in the North Sea Region” to reaffirm the support and commitment of the participating countries and the European Union (EU) to promote the project. As of February 2018, 16 companies have agreed to build a supergrid. The regions connected through the Nordic Supergrid will mainly be supplied with wind and hydroelectric power from the North Sea coast starting in 2020. The project will be carried out in three phases (Phase 1 in 2020, Phase 2 in 2030, and Phase 3 in 2050), and will ultimately supply 500 GW of electricity to the European power market. The Northern European Super Grid is progressing smoothly, thanks to the strong political will of the participating countries and the efficient and transparent operation of the dedicated organization established to promote the project.
The Northeast Asia Super Grid has been under discussion since the late 1990s, when Russia and South Korea proposed NEAREST (Northeast Asian Electrical System Ties), but the project has been delayed for various reasons, including the lack of a dedicated organization and tensions on the Korean Peninsula. In Japan, SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son proposed the “Asia Super Grid” to solve the power shortage situation after the Fukushima nuclear accident, but due to the privatization of the electricity market in Japan, the government does not recognize super grid-related projects as business projects between operators and is not taking any comprehensive measures. Instead, SoftBank, a private company, is participating in various supergrid-related discussions. Although the Northeast Asia Super Grid is still in the conceptual stage, conditions are improving as Russia and China are actively working to resolve economic development and domestic power supply imbalances. Korea Electric Power Corporation and China State Grid Corporation signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to link the South Korean and Chinese power grids, and KEPCO, China State Grid Corporation (SGCC), Japan’s SoftBank, and Russia’s Rosseti also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on power grid interconnection. Although there are various plans depending on the leading organizations and countries, the general framework is for South Korea, China, and Japan to share the electricity produced in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and Russia’s clean energy sources. The potential scale of electricity production using natural resources such as wind and solar power in the Gobi Desert area is estimated to be 1,300 GW. (The maximum daily electricity consumption in South Korea is 85 GW.)
The South Korean government has shown a positive stance, presenting the Northeast Asia Super Grid at the Eastern Economic Forum and even launching the Northern Economic Cooperation Committee, an advisory body directly under the president to promote the Northeast Asia Super Grid. In 2017, KEPCO conducted a preliminary feasibility study on the interconnection of the South Korea-China-Japan power grids with China State Grid Corporation (SGCC) and Japan’s SoftBank, and concluded that there are no technical issues and that economic feasibility can be secured. If a supergrid is established at a time when the share of renewable energy is increasing, it will be possible to supply renewable energy more stably and cheaply. Furthermore, as the project can be successfully promoted in a politically and socially stable situation, it is expected that the Northeast Asian situation, where various interests are intertwined, will be alleviated as each country considers each other’s positions.
As such, super grids are an important technology that can contribute to cooperation between countries and the maintenance of stability, beyond simply solving energy problems. If the Northeast Asia Super Grid is successfully established in the future, it will greatly contribute to not only the energy security of the Northeast Asian region, but also its political and economic stability. To this end, each country must continue to cooperate and make efforts to resolve technical, economic, and political issues.
