As Honam's renewable energy grid congestion is only now beginning to find solutions, a proposal to connect Jeju's Chuja-do offshore wind power to Shinhaenam substation in South Jeolla Province is drawing controversy. With existing grid connection waiting lists combined with new power demand from semiconductor clusters and other sources, disputes are expected over how to allocate limited grid capacity. In particular, since the government has emphasized "local production and local consumption" of renewable energy generated in regions, questions are being raised about whether this connection plan aligns with existing policy direction.
According to a comprehensive report by Namdo Ilbo on October 27, Jeju Province submitted a proposal on October 20 to the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, which visited Jeju, requesting that the offshore wind project near Chuja-do be reflected in the Basic Plan on Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand and connected to the national power grid. The current planned capacity is 2.37 gigawatts. Kim Jeong-ho, chairman of the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, stated at the meeting that if the Chuja-do offshore wind project, which aims to begin operations in 2034, is connected to the new Haenam substation under construction, renewable energy produced in Jeju can be supplied to the Honam semiconductor cluster. A plan to connect electricity generated in Jeju through Haenam to the mainland grid was publicly discussed.
