The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation and Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-hye held a forum on promoting distributed energy to accelerate the energy transition in industrial complexes at the National Assembly building on Monday. [Korea Industrial Complex Corporation]
The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation and Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-hye held a forum on promoting distributed energy to accelerate the energy transition in industrial complexes at the National Assembly building on Monday. [Korea Industrial Complex Corporation]

Korea Industrial Complex Corp., Rep. Park Ji-hye host forum on distributed energy for industrial complex energy transition

Solar, ESS operational data to be linked with tenant power demand; direct PPA, virtual power plant reforms proposed

Forum tied to Distributed Energy Act revision; calls for stable fiscal support and expanded budget

Proposals emerged Monday for linking electricity generated and stored by solar panels and energy storage systems inside industrial complexes directly to the actual power demand of tenant companies. Participants also called for reforming direct power purchase agreements and virtual power plant systems to transform industrial complexes from mere energy consumers into hubs capable of producing, storing and trading electricity.

The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation said it co-hosted a forum titled "Measures to Promote Distributed Energy for Accelerating the Energy Transition in Industrial Complexes" with Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-hye at the National Assembly building on Monday. The forum was convened to develop ways to deploy electricity generated by distributed energy facilities — including solar panels and ESS — in line with the power needs of tenant companies, as such installations continue to expand across industrial complexes.

The regulatory framework surrounding distributed energy is also broadening. An amended version of the Special Act on Promoting Distributed Energy took effect June 3, with the scope of distributed energy projects now including integrated power plant operations that utilize distributed energy resources. In designated distributed energy special zones, related guidelines are in place to allow new business models — including direct electricity trading — to be pursued based on regional plans.

Son Seong-yong, a professor at Gachon University, delivered the first presentation under the theme "Advancing an Integrated Operational Framework for Distributed Energy in Industrial Complexes." He proposed a phased operational approach to link distributed energy data — from solar panels and ESS — with tenant companies' electricity demand information.

Son said a cooperative framework was needed to allow key stakeholders in energy production and consumption — including Korea Electric Power Corporation, the Korea Power Exchange, private operators and tenant companies — to share information.

Yun Seong-hun, a team leader at SK Innovation's E&S division, presented proposals for reforming the ESS-based virtual power plant system within industrial complexes, outlining ways to deploy renewable energy stored in ESS units in line with tenant companies' power demand.

Yun said a trading mechanism was needed that could reflect hourly fluctuations in electricity supply and demand based on direct PPAs. He argued that industrial complexes should move beyond simply adding individual solar or ESS installations and instead build a system that integrates and operates multiple distributed energy resources together.

The panel discussion, moderated by Lee Ji-ung, a professor at Pukyong National University, included Ha Min-geun, head of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation's industrial complex energy transition division; Ahn Seong-bo, a senior official at the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy's distributed energy division; Park Jae-young, a professor at Konkuk University; attorney Lee Min-ho; and Kim Seung-hee, a manager at KEI Consulting.

Lee Sang-hun, president of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, said the energy transition in industrial complexes hinges on effectively connecting diverse energy resources with the demand of tenant companies. "We will expand the carbon-neutral industrial complex development project to reduce the energy cost burden on tenant companies and strengthen their capacity to respond to carbon regulations," he said.


hong@heraldcorp.com