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RFE-DPRK-RK POWER GRID INTERCONNECTION Sergei
Podkovalnikov Energy Systems Institute, Irkutsk,
Russia

• Introduction
• Overview of RFE, DPRK and RK power systems
• Potential route
• Preliminary costs-benefit analysis
• Inferences

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Power Grid Map of the Russian Far East
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Features of the RFE Power System. I

• Current generating capacity - 7 GW, electricity
  consumption - 24 TWh/year, frequency - 50 Hz
• Maximum electric load comes in winter, summer
  load valley is quite deep
• Electricity consumption is unevenly distributed
  on the territory with large share falling on the
  South
• Hydropower capacity is developed in the West, new
  HPPs are to be commissioned there
• Thermal power capacity dominates in the East and
  South, nuclear power capacity is expected to be
  developed in the South for meeting domestic
  electricity needs and exporting electricity

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Features of RFE Power System. II

• There is currently excess of power generating
  capacity unevenly allocated on the territory, in
  2005-2010 it is expected to be exhausted
• There is lack of maneuverable generating capacity
  for meeting cycling electric load of consumers in
  the South
• Backbone power transmission grid of highest
  voltage is not well developed and planned to be
  reinforced
• Major direction of power flows in EPS is
  east-southward, and it is expected to remain for
  the future
• There are currently no power grid connections
  between RFE and DPRK EPSs

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Power Grid Map of RK
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Features of RK Power System. I

• Current generating capacity - 49 GW, electricity
  consumption - 224 TWh/year, frequency - 60 Hz
• Maximum electric load comes in summer
• Electricity consumption is unevenly distributed
  on the territory of the EPS with very large share
  falling on Seoul metropolitan area
• Nuclear power capacity is being further developed
  as major source of electricity production, though
  other sources of electricity play important role
  in meeting growing power demand

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Features of RK Power System. II

• There are difficulties in siting new power
  facilities
• Backbone power transmission grid of highest
  voltage is well developed and being reinforced by
  transmissions of higher voltage
• Major direction of power flows via backbone
  transmission grid is northward, with this being
  expected to remain for the future
• There are no power grid connections between RK
  and DPRK EPSs

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Power Grid Map of DPRK
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Features of DPRK Power System. I

• Current generating capacity - 9.5 GW, electricity
  consumption - 29 TWh/year, frequency - 60 Hz,
  though there is reportedly an area in the West of
  country operating with 50 Hz
• Maximum electric load comes in winter
• Electricity consumption is unevenly distributed
  on the territory of the EPS with large share
  falling on Pyongyang metropolitan area
• Hydropower capacities being major source of
  electricity are located in North and Northeast of
  the country

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Features of DPRK Power System. II

• Nuclear power capacity is being developed
• Major direction of power flows via backbone
  transmission grid is roughly estimated to be
  southward
• There are currently no power grid connections
  with adjacent RFE and RK EPSs
• Power statistics is scarce and controversial

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Significant Issues for RFE-DPRK-RK Power Grid
Interconnection. I

• Diversity of yearly maximum load in EPSs of RFE,
  DPRK and RK may bring about substantial benefits
  while interconnecting those EPSs
• Difficulties in siting power facilities in RK may
  be alleviated by receiving electricity from
  interstate interconnected power grid
• DPRK hydropower maneuverable capacity may meet
  cycling electric load of consumers in RK and
  South of RFE
• Delivering electricity from power grid
  interconnection to the electric load centers in
  DPRK and RK may relieve constrains in domestic
  electricity grids
• EPSs operate at different frequencies

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Significant Issues for RFE-DPRK-RK Power Grid
Interconnection. II

• There is no any interstate power transmission
  infrastructure among RFE, DPRK and RK
• Attaining benefits from power interconnection in
  full scale requires bulk power exchange among
  RFE, DPRK and RK
• Using domestic power infrastructure along with
  intersystem links to be constructed for bulk
  power exchange is impossible domestic power
  grids may be used for distributing incoming power
  flows and collecting flows, being sent out to the
  power grid interconnection
• Interconnection of RFE, DPRK and RK EPSs requires
  bulk power DC transmission infrastructure to be
  constructed

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Map of railroads of the South of RFE, DPRK and RK
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The Scheme of RFE-DPRK-RK Electric Tie
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The Method of Study
CostJointEPSs gtlt CostSeparateEPSs Costs are
optimal values of the objective function of
ORIRES Model comprising annualized investment for
development of generating and transmitting
capacities and yearly maintenance and fuel cost
at joint and separate operation of RFE, DPRK and
RK power systems
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Electricity Exchange via ISET RFE-DPRK-RK,
Bln.kWh/year
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Commissioning New Capacities, GW
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Costs for New Capacities
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Cost for RFE-DPRK-RK ISET
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Estimation of Complex Economic Benefit
Complex Economic Benefit Revenue from
Electricity Export Cost of Capacity Saving
Cost for Additional Capacity Commissioning Cost
for Electricity Import
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Sharing Economic Benefit, Mln./year
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Electricity Production Cost and Tariff Reduction
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Benefit of Reliability Improvement
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Environmental benefit

• Wider utilization of non-fossil fuel sources of
  electricity (in particular, hydropower plants)
• Decrease of environmental impact from domestic
  power plants in electricity importing countries
• Alleviation of environmental burden in peak hours
  and seasons when pollution is highest owing to
  seasonal diversity power exchange

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Inferences. I

• Power systems of RFE, DPRK and RK are mutually
  supplementary
• Interconnection of RFE, DPRK and RK requires
  construction of new bulk power DC transmission
  infrastructure
• There is quite developed transport and power grid
  infrastructure along the larger part of potential
  route of the ISET
• Power grid interconnection RFE-DPRK-RK is
  expected to bring about high economic benefit for
  all participating countries
• There already exists methodology and software
  for studying prospective power grid
  interconnections in NEA

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Inferences. II

• Sharing verified input data among countries
  engaged in power interconnection is needed.
• There seems to be compliance among Russia, DPRK
  and RK about expediency of the study of
  RFE-DPRK-RK ISET
• Conditions appear to be mature for complex
  international pre-feasibility study for the
  RFE-DPRK-RK ISET, with technical, economic,
  reliability, environmental and institutional
  issues being examined