Korea, China seeking to finish joint study on bilateral electricity grid

South Korea's energy ministry said Tuesday it has agreed with China to complete a joint study to check the feasibility of connecting the electricity grids of the two countries by the end of the year.

The project is the first step of the so-called Northeast Asian super grid initiative that would allow electricity generated from wind in Mongolia to be used in South Korea and Japan and throughout China.

South Korea's state-run power utility firm Korea Electric Power Corp. and its Chinese counterpart launched a joint study in April on linking their electricity grids, including the establishment of a cable along the seabed between the two neighbors.

The move comes as South Korea and China are seeking to boost power generated by clean and renewable energy sources.

"The two governments will provide support to ensure that the joint study can be concluded by the end of 2018," according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The consensus was reached in the first round of a working-level meeting between the ministry and China's National Energy Administration in Seoul. The consultative body on energy issues is a follow-up to the summit between the leaders of South Korea and China in December.

Also Tuesday, officials from the two sides fine-tuned the wording of a separate memorandum of understanding reached with Japan earlier this month on strengthening cooperation on liquefied natural gas.

South Korea and China also discussed how to boost destination flexibility in importing liquefied natural gas.

Currently, South Korea imports LNG under long-term contracts that include destination restriction clauses restricting Seoul from reselling the energy resources to other countries.

South Korea is the world's third-largest importer of LNG with 13 percent, trailing behind Japan and China, the world's largest and the second-largest importers.

The three countries have been pushing to find ways to improve their terms of contract using their combined buying power, according to the ministry.

South Korea and China plan to hold the second round of the working-level energy consultation meeting in China next year.(Yonhap)