KOREA POWER EXCHANGE

Electricity cannot be stored in a large amount. Therefore, the demand has to be forecasted and a sufficient supply to meet this has to be prepared in advance in order for a stable supply-demand operation.

KPX sets up and operate yearly, monthly, and daily supply-demand plans in order to utilize the equipment in the most stable and economic manner. Accurate demand forecast are made using techniques such as economic trends and demand pattern analysis. Vulnerable parts of the power system are evaluated beforehand provide stable supply throughout the year. And preventative maintenance schedules are adjusted in order to keep reserve level. In fact, such maintenance are kept to a minimum during summer because there is a lot of load caused by air conditioning.

Electricity demand varies a lot depending on the season, day of the week, and time of the day. Therefore, dispatch schedule is set up in such a way that these load patterns can be followed – sufficient number of hydro and thermal power stations are ready to cooperate and the generation can be adjusted with the transmission congestion taken into account.

As for the seasonal demand, night time demand is high due to running heaters in winter, while day time demand is high due to air conditioners in summer.