Hyosung Heavy Industries has built South Korea’s first 2-gigawatt (GW)-class high-voltage direct current (HVDC) controller performance verification facility. The HILS (Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation) system, completed at the company’s Heavy Industries Research Center in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, enables pre-validation of its independently developed 2GW-class HVDC controller in an environment closely resembling actual power grid conditions.
The facility serves as core infrastructure for enhancing the reliability of domestically produced HVDC systems to be deployed in the West Coast Energy Highway project. As HVDC transmission capacity increases, the control targets and conditions become more complex, significantly expanding the number of operational scenarios that must be verified—including grid faults and emergency situations. For 2GW-class high-capacity systems in particular, verification scenarios increase by two to three times compared to existing 200-megawatt (MW)-class systems, making thorough pre-validation essential before grid integration.
HILS works by connecting the actual HVDC controller to a virtual 2GW-class converter valve and power grid, verifying the control system’s stable response capabilities. By simulating hazardous conditions that are difficult to test on a real power grid in a virtual environment, the system allows for long-duration repetitive testing, dramatically improving controller stability and reliability.
Hyosung Heavy Industries has independently secured technology across the entire process—from design and installation to testing and operation of the HILS system. The company’s accumulated real-world grid control, operation, and verification expertise from operating the 200MW voltage-sourced HVDC system installed at Yangju Substation served as the foundation for building this 2GW test environment.
With the completion of this HILS facility, the company aims to further advance its GW-class domestic HVDC technology and contribute to the timely construction of the West Coast Energy Highway project being pursued by the South Korean government and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). In September, Hyosung Heavy Industries was selected as a participating company in the valve and controller segments of KEPCO’s “High-Capacity Voltage-Sourced HVDC Localization and Demonstration Project.”
A Hyosung Heavy Industries official stated, “The construction of this HILS facility goes beyond simply acquiring test equipment—it is significant in that we have secured an independent technological foundation to further advance our self-developed 2GW-class HVDC controller. Building on this, we will continue to expand our entry into the global HVDC market through proprietary domestic technology.”
The West Coast Energy Highway is a long-distance HVDC transmission network project designed to transport electricity generated from large-scale renewable energy complexes along South Korea’s west coast to the Seoul metropolitan area. High-capacity HVDC systems are regarded as essential technology for renewable energy expansion, as they enable long-distance transmission while minimizing power losses.
The global HVDC market is growing rapidly, driven by expanding renewable energy deployment and increasing demand for cross-border grid interconnections. Through this HILS facility, Hyosung Heavy Industries aims to demonstrate the reliability of South Korean HVDC technology and strengthen its technological foundation for overseas market expansion.