KEPCO, EPRI Partner to Develop Dynamic Line Rating for Korean Grid
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) signed an MOU with the US Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to jointly research and apply Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) technology to enhance grid acceptance of renewable energy.
Our take
Will dynamic line rating ease grid connection and curtailment risk for renewables in Korea?
Dynamic line rating will not ease grid connection or curtailment risk for Korean renewables soon, because KEPCO's agreement with EPRI covers sensor testing and drafting operating standards, not offering extra line capacity to projects.
The extra capacity depends on weather, so it is not firm, and grid planners cannot count it in connection decisions until KEPCO adopts a domestic operating standard. That standard, which has no published date, is the step that would change this answer.
For investors — Solar and wind developers should leave dynamic line rating out of connection timelines and curtailment estimates until KEPCO publishes a domestic operating standard.
Lenders should keep current curtailment assumptions, since this agreement changes no connection or dispatch rule.
Watch: Progress reports on the joint DLR technology development and the establishment of DLR operating standards for the Korean grid.
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