KEPCO rallies industry to commercialize direct current power systems

Korea Electric Power Corp. CEO Kim Dong-cheol, third from left, LS Electric Executive Vice President Chae Dae-seok, fifth from left, and other officials pose at the completion ceremony of LS Electric's DC factory in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Thursday. Courtesy of LS Electric

Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) convened a coalition of government officials, manufacturers and researchers Thursday to fast-track the commercialization of direct current (DC) power systems, a move driven by surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers.

About 120 participants attended the "K-DC Industry Expansion 2026" event at LS Electric's Cheonan base under the theme, "Beyond DC Demonstration to Industry."

KEPCO said the event marked a shift from pilot projects to broader industrial adoption of direct current technologies across the power grid and commercial facilities.

The utility plans to expand its direct current portfolio beyond high-voltage direct current transmission into medium- and low-voltage distribution systems for industrial complexes, factories and data centers.

The company also said it will promote large-scale projects aligned with government policy while developing commercial business models designed to attract sustained private-sector investment.

To speed up commercialization, KEPCO plans to establish a fast-track framework linking standards, certification, testing and commercialization for new direct current technologies and products.

Lee Hoh-hyeon, second vice minister of climate, energy and environment, said the direct current industry has strong growth potential as AI data centers and renewable energy projects continue to expand.

Lee said the government will support early market creation, technology development and regulatory improvements to strengthen the nation's power industry.

KEPCO President Kim Dong-cheol said direct current technology has reached the stage where it must move beyond research and demonstration projects into widespread industrial use.

Kim said KEPCO will continue identifying flagship projects with government and industry partners while building a sustainable direct current ecosystem through the K-DC Alliance.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.