Korea South-East Power Co., Ltd recognised with Power Utility of the Year - Korea at the Asian Power Awards

It manages Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant Units 5 and 6 as the most advanced high-efficiency environmental facility.

Korea South-East Power Co. Ltd (KOEN) has a large share in the total installed power generation capacity in South Korea. To ensure a stable and reliable power supply in the metropolitan area, the Yeongheung Power Plant operates Units 1-6(5,080MW) and 70.3MW of renewable energy facilities (wind, solar and hydropower). It serves as the only base load power plant in the metropolitan area, responsible for alleviating the power supply imbalance (accounting for 23% of the power consumption in the metropolitan area) and ensuring the stability of the national power grid. In particular, Units 5 and 6 at Yeongheung Power Plant are equipped with advanced, high-efficiency power generation and environmental facilities, managing atmospheric pollutant emissions at the highest level in Asia.

KOEN is introducing cutting-edge technology to minimise environmental impact in power generation operations. Starting from the turbine bidding stage, efficiency was actively reflected in the evaluation criteria for technical specifications to select the winning bidder. They applied 45-inch rotating blades, the first of its kind in Korea, and increased efficiency by 0.4% to 0.7% compared to the existing power plant.

By increasing efficiency compared to existing power plants, they are reducing the amount of fuel (coal) required to produce the same amount of power, contributing to minimising environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. In addition, they are minimising air pollution by introducing the world’s most advanced high-efficiency environmental facilities, such as desulphurisation equipment (with an efficiency of over 98.3%), denitrification equipment (with an efficiency of over 92.7%), and electrostatic precipitators (with an efficiency of over 99.7%).

Innovative approach to sustainable growth

To practice low-carbon green growth, KOEN is also making efforts in renewable energy businesses. They refine combustion residues (waste) generated from coal-fired power plants into concrete mixtures for recycling. Residues with insufficient recycling rates are mixed with semi-hardened soil and heated to produce artificial lightweight aggregates. In addition, KOEN continues to strive to supply clean and safe energy based on a vision of being a “Clean & Smart Energy Leader” through various facilities and technologies, such as applying high-efficiency power generation equipment to minimise environmental impact.