{"id":2851239,"version":0,"headline":"S Korea picks operators for new energy storage rollout","dateModified":"2026-07-13T11:26:50Z","datePublished":"2026-07-13T08:13:03Z","articleBody":"

The South Korean government has selected nine operators for a new energy storage deployment project along transmission lines aimed at further integrating renewable energy into power grid, with additional projects planned.

The nine operators will install a total of 128MW/640MWh of energy storage systems (ESS) across 32 transmission lines, enabling the integration of an additional 182.4MW of solar power into the grid, South Korea's climate and energy ministry (Mcee) said on 10 July. The selected operators are VPP Lab, LG Energy Solution (LGES), KEPCO KDN, SK Eternix, HD Hyundai Electric, Gridwiz, Korea East-West Power, Korea Midland Power and Hyundai Engineering and Construction.

Each transmission line will be equipped with a 4MW/20MWh ESS installation capable of accommodating 5.7MW of solar power, Mcee said. Substations and distribution lines in regions such as Honam and Jeju, where renewable energy is abundant are facing capacity constraints. New solar power facilities are unable to connect to the grid and are being forced to wait, while connected facilities are curtailing power output. Using ESS as buffers can increase the country's existing grid capacity, alleviating significant costs, time and public acceptance burdens required for new transmission lines construction.

The ministry plans to deploy 700MW of ESS, connecting 1GW of renewable energy by 2030 through the project. The next round of call for proposals, scheduled for August, will encourage the use of next-generation batteries featuring longer lifespans, higher cycle durability and enhanced fire safety. The current round is focused on the ternary and lithium-iron-phosphate battery chemistries. The initiative will help open up new markets for its domestic energy storage industry, Mcee said.

South Korea's leading battery manufacturers — LGES, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation — have opted for aggressive ESS expansions as the electric vehicle (EV) market slows down. LGES earlier this year floated plans of potentially doubling its global ESS production capacity to 60GWh this year.

By Joseph Ho

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The South Korean government has selected nine operators for a new energy storage deployment project along transmission lines aimed at further integrating renewable energy into power grid, with additional projects planned.

The nine operators will install a total of 128MW/640MWh of energy storage systems (ESS) across 32 transmission lines, enabling the integration of an additional 182.4MW of solar power into the grid, South Korea's climate and energy ministry (Mcee) said on 10 July. The selected operators are VPP Lab, LG Energy Solution (LGES), KEPCO KDN, SK Eternix, HD Hyundai Electric, Gridwiz, Korea East-West Power, Korea Midland Power and Hyundai Engineering and Construction.

Each transmission line will be equipped with a 4MW/20MWh ESS installation capable of accommodating 5.7MW of solar power, Mcee said. Substations and distribution lines in regions such as Honam and Jeju, where renewable energy is abundant are facing capacity constraints. New solar power facilities are unable to connect to the grid and are being forced to wait, while connected facilities are curtailing power output. Using ESS as buffers can increase the country's existing grid capacity, alleviating significant costs, time and public acceptance burdens required for new transmission lines construction.

The ministry plans to deploy 700MW of ESS, connecting 1GW of renewable energy by 2030 through the project. The next round of call for proposals, scheduled for August, will encourage the use of next-generation batteries featuring longer lifespans, higher cycle durability and enhanced fire safety. The current round is focused on the ternary and lithium-iron-phosphate battery chemistries. The initiative will help open up new markets for its domestic energy storage industry, Mcee said.

South Korea's leading battery manufacturers — LGES, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation — have opted for aggressive ESS expansions as the electric vehicle (EV) market slows down. LGES earlier this year floated plans of potentially doubling its global ESS production capacity to 60GWh this year.

By Joseph Ho

","lead":"The South Korean government has selected nine operators for a new energy storage deployment project along transmission lines aimed at further integrating renewable energy into power grid, with additional projects planned.","cmsId":"24794944","source":"Censhare"}