- Two 72.5kV GIS contracts for Honam High-Speed Railway worth USD 4.76 million
- Won in a 10-company competitive bid including large firms, proving 72.5kV GIS technology
- Combined with 765kV relay panels, expanding into T&D, renewables and future power grids
Seondo Electric Co., Ltd. (CEO Kwon Hyuk), a Korean power equipment maker, announced that it has signed two contracts with the Korea National Railway to manufacture and install 72.5kV Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS), worth a total of about USD 4.76 million. This is about 16% of the company's 2025 revenue. (All amounts are converted at KRW 1,300 per USD.)
The two contracts are “72.5kV GIS for Substations on Phase 2 of the Honam High-Speed Railway (Gomagwon–Mokpo)” (about USD 3.35 million) and “Expansion of 72.5kV GIS at Iksan Electric Railway Substation, Honam High-Speed Railway” (about USD 1.41 million).
Under these contracts, Seondo Electric will make and install the 72.5kV GIS for the substations on the Gomagwon–Mokpo section and at the Iksan Electric Railway Substation. GIS places key switching equipment, such as circuit breakers and disconnectors, inside a metal enclosure filled with insulating gas. Compared with typical air-insulated switchgear (AIS) substations, GIS needs much less space and is less affected by dust, salt and other outside conditions. This makes it well suited to sites that need high reliability, such as high-speed railway substations.
▲ Seondo Electric's 72.5kV Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS)
72.5kV GIS is a technically difficult product. It must safely insulate and break high voltages inside a small metal enclosure, which requires advanced insulation design and high-current breaking technology. Seondo Electric opened its corporate R&D center in 1993 and has built strong R&D capabilities in GIS and protective relays since then. Based on this experience, the company has developed 72.5kV GIS design and manufacturing technology, and these orders show that its technology has been recognized on a national high-speed railway project. In particular, the Gomagwon–Mokpo contract was won in a competitive bid in which 10 companies, including large corporations, took part, proving both the company's technology and its ability to carry out projects.
The contracts are also important for the railway market. High-speed railway substation equipment is directly linked to train safety, so it is a field that requires strict quality standards and a proven supply record. Seondo Electric has already supplied 29kV GIS for electric railways to national railway substations, including those on the Wonju–Gangneung Line and the Donghae Line. With these contracts, the company has expanded its supply range to 72.5kV GIS for high-speed railway substations, further strengthening its position in railway power equipment. As investment in railway infrastructure continues, including new high-speed lines and the Great Train Express (GTX), this track record is expected to help the company win more railway orders.
The company also sees strong potential in future power infrastructure. Seondo Electric offers a lineup of protective relay panels for up to 765kV, Korea's highest transmission voltage. Together with its 72.5kV GIS, the company now has the ability to supply transmission and substation equipment as an integrated package. Based on this, it plans to expand into markets where demand for high-voltage equipment is growing, such as power grid expansion, renewable energy grid connection and large industrial complexes.
“These contracts are meaningful because we will supply technically demanding 72.5kV GIS to Korea's key high-speed railway infrastructure,” said Kwon Hyuk, CEO of Seondo Electric. “Based on technology proven in the railway field, we will actively expand our supply of extra-high-voltage products to future power infrastructure, including transmission, substations and renewable energy.”
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