KEPCO power utility network

Nationwide network for special data applications

KEPCO is one of the biggest energy companies in the world. A decade ago, it was faced with challenges that are familiar to all power companies. Keeping up old analogue radio system and using leased lines was getting expensive. Also the way of working for the company and its employees was changing:

• data communication needs were becoming day-to-day business, and
• security and availability of communications were becoming more important.

 
In 2007, KEPCO started trials on a new communication system based on TETRA radio communication solutions from Airbus. The communication system was selected to meet the company's needs especially in

• automated field operations,
• control and measurement such as Power Distribution Automation, and
• Automatic Meter Reading.

Above all, KEPCO wanted to serve the customers better. For example, they wanted to shorten the response times in power outage situations.

When possible, they wanted to avoid outages completely. This required better control of their network elements such as transformers.

When the information about heavy load in some transformers is received and processed quickly, the load can be diverted to other transformers without any disturbance towards customers.

Another objective for setting up the communication system was efficient management of their mobile workforce.

KEPCO - A successful smart grid

The digital TETRA system from Airbus supports KEPCO's automated power distribution, transformer monitoring and mobile workforce management.

Key achievements are:

• Control time of power grid equipment reduced from 5 seconds to 1.8 seconds
• Monitoring time for a transformer reduced from 10 seconds to 4 seconds
• 4 times capacity improvement for power distribution automation application by successful deployment of Secondary Control Channel (SCCH) in 2016

This has resulted in tangible business benefits for KEPCO and its customers.

• In 2011, the rate of power loss in distribution was reduced to only 3.69%
• Response times to incidents were dramatically shortened. The average power outage time per customer was only 12.4 minutes in 2011
• Power automation application usage has been remarkably enhanced after SCCH upgrade in 2016
• The shorter response times have brought better customer satisfaction
• Operational costs have been lower, thanks to the efficient communication system and the applications that use it.

Find the details in this case study: How KEPCO implemented power distribution automation with TETRA

TETRA solution

KEPCO has been running the digital TETRA system to control its electricity distribution grid since 2007.

The company is operating

• seven digital exchanges,
• 149 TB3 TETRA base stations and
• Around 10,000 TETRA data radios across its network.

KEPCO has gained further benefits from adopting the so-called Secondary Control Channel feature.

The KEPCO network has grown in steps. The TETRA radio communication network from Airbus can be built according to the customer’s needs: it grows when the company needs this; more communication capacity and coverage can be added very flexibly.