SOUTH KOREA - Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), South Korean largest electric utility, awarded ABB Power Grid's business with an order to build two new HVDC converter stations.

One substation will be located on the mainland to convert the power from alternative current (AC) to direct current and transfer the electricity by undersea cable with almost no losses to Jeju Island, South Korea's largest island, where the other substation will convert the current back to AC for distribution, ABB announced in the press release.

The high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations will provide an additional 200 MW of power to Jeju island, enough to provide electricity to 500,000 homes.

Additionally, the voltage source conversion (VSC) technology will also be implemented to help the utility to operate the island's existing interconnections more efficiently by providing additional stability and by minimizing the risk of power outages.

Source: ABB