- High-capacity ESS for MicroGrid with its own electric power engineering technology
- MicroGrid to be the “Next Big Thing” as an independent power supply alternative for islands, cities, and industrial complex
 

Islands, cities, and industrial complex will apparently see a lot of MicroGrid, a new independent power supply grid. MicroGrid is a self-sufficient electrical grid wherein power can be generated without external supply source. 

Posco ICT (CEO: Bong-Rae Cho) has announced that it will join the project of building MicroGrid in Palgeumdo Island of Shinan-gun, Jeollanamdo Province. The company’s own ESS(Energy Storage System) and related engineerings will be applied to the project. The capacity of the ESS to be supplied through this project is 1WM/1MWh, enough for about 330 households. 

Palgeumdo Island currently has photovoltaic power generators, and Posco ICT plans to connect them to its new ESS. This connection will stabilize power supply to the houses on the island, since new renewable energy sources such as sunlight may suffer from instability due to climate condition. Thus, there has been a need for stabilization technology utilizing ESS. 

At present, various MicroGrid projects connecting to new renewable energy sources such as wind and sunlight with ESS -- mostly for remoted islands -- are being conceived. Gapado Island of Jejudo has a similar grid wherein the energy produced from wind power generators is linked with ESS. The Palgeumdo Island project will yield the biggest MicroGrid so far in Korea, and its results will influence similar projects in the future. 

This project is an opportunity for Posco ICT to prove its engineering capability for ESS products and operation linked with them. The company built a smart grid demonstration complex in Jejudo in December 2009 as part of its “Smart Renewable” task, with a 2MVA-class ESS developed for the demonstration. Posco ICT also came up with output stabilization technology for the reliable supply of new recyclable energy, securing and commercializing MicroGrid technology applicable to islands, cities, and industrial complexes. 

Posco ICT is also set to conquer the global markets with MicroGrid network and ESS for Edison Power from Japan in 2013. In particular, Japan’s high interest in new recyclable energy after the nuclear plant incidents is expected to boost the company’s growth in Japan. 

 “We’re focusing on the energy business based on smart grid to procure the next growth drive. The MicroGrid model for the independent power supply network in islands, isolated areas, industrial complexes, and other areas requiring stable power supply is expected to be that big thing in the future, and it’ll start from this Palgeumdo Island project,” explained Chang-Ho Choi, Senior Vice President of Posco ICT.