Trend Electrification becomes the largest driver of additional electricity demand

Summary

Electrification is the biggest additional-demand factor in Korea's current Basic Plan, larger than data centres and advanced industry combined. International studies likewise identify it as a core engine of future load growth, with one study finding that electrifying energy-intensive basic materials could raise demand by 44 percent, or about 1,200TWh. Large-scale electrification of buildings and transport would also expand the capacity and flexibility the grid must provide. At the same time, process heat electrification, heat pumps and electric vehicles raise final energy efficiency and add demand-side flexibility. The author therefore describes electrification as a change that combines more power use with better end-use efficiency, rather than as a pure load increase.