Ministry moves to build power infrastructure for Honam semiconductor complex

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy is launching a working group to build a power grid aligned with the 2030 operational target for the Honam region's semiconductor industrial complex.

Plans call for completing the power supply lines by the end of 2029, and a proposal to transfer management of Dongbok Dam to the state to secure industrial water is also under review.

The ministry will hold the inaugural meeting of the Honam Semiconductor Industrial Complex Power Supply Working Group on Wednesday at the Han River Flood Control Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Participants include the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, Gwangsan-gu, Jangseong-gun, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

The working group is a follow-up body tasked with turning the Phase 1 provisional power supply plan — drawn up by the ministry, the integrated city and Korea Electric Power Corporation on July 16 — into a concrete implementation plan.

The government and Korea Electric Power Corporation are pursuing a plan to use the existing 345-kilovolt (kV) Sinjangseong–Singwangju transmission line near the complex to meet initial demand, while completing the Phase 1 supply lines by the end of 2029. The preferred route runs along the Hwangnyong River and Provincial Road 49, with underground cabling planned for densely populated stretches.

The goal is to have a stable power supply infrastructure in place by the time the complex begins operations in 2030.

Speed is the central focus of the inaugural meeting. Local governments and relevant agencies — including the Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office — will continuously coordinate on route planning, environmental procedures and construction schedules to minimize delays. Lee Won-ju, director general for energy transition policy at the ministry, said the group would eliminate silos between agencies to build a foundation for genuine cooperation, pooling the capacity of public institutions and private companies to ensure timely power delivery.

The ministry is in talks with the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City on converting Dongbok Dam in Iseo-myeon, Hwasun-gun, into a state-owned multipurpose dam. The plan envisions combining the dam's existing surplus capacity of 50,000 tons of water per day with an additional 250,000 tons per day to be secured by raising the dam's height, for a total industrial water supply of 300,000 tons per day for the semiconductor complex.

If Dongbok Dam transfers to state management, officials expect that national budget support, environmental impact assessments and project procedures could be integrated, shortening the timeline for the dam-raising project.

The government believes the transfer could cut what would normally be a roughly 10-year project by more than six years, making it possible to supply water in time for the factory's 2030 launch. However, as the dam serves as a drinking water source for the Gwangju and Hwasun areas, advance verification and thorough consultation on residential water stability, water quality protection and community acceptance are expected to be required.