Reading KEPCO Tariff Schedules for Mining Sites
A practical guide to industrial electricity rate structures that affect hashrate allocation across multiple mining locations in South Korea.
Electricity cost is the largest operating expense for any mining deployment. When you operate multiple sites, tariff differences between regions and contract types can shift the optimal hashrate allocation by 15% or more.
Industrial Rate Categories
KEPCO offers several industrial rate schedules. Mining facilities typically fall under general industrial (일반용) or industrial power (산업용) categories depending on contracted capacity. The critical variable is contracted demand (kW) — the maximum power you agree to draw at any moment.
Setting contracted demand too high increases your base charge even during low-utilisation periods. Setting it too low triggers penalty rates when your miners briefly exceed the threshold during startup.
Multi-Site Allocation Strategy
When planning deployments across sites with different tariff structures, we model three scenarios:
- Equal distribution — Same hashrate per site regardless of electricity cost
- Cost-optimised — Concentrate hashrate at the site with the lowest effective kWh rate
- Risk-balanced — Split hashrate to avoid single-point grid failure
The cost-optimised scenario often surprises operators. A site in a rural area with agricultural tariff remnants may offer lower rates than an urban industrial zone, even if the rural site requires supplemental cooling investment.
Time-of-Use Considerations
Some industrial contracts include time-of-use components where peak hours (typically 10:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00 on weekdays) carry higher rates. Mining hardware runs continuously, so peak-hour exposure is unavoidable unless you implement scheduled undervolting during peak windows — which our reviewed adaptable miners support through firmware profiles.
We include a tariff worksheet in every deployment report showing estimated monthly electricity cost per site under current KEPCO published rates. Rates change seasonally; we note the publication date and recommend annual review.
Grid Connection Lead Times
A factor often overlooked in hashrate planning: new industrial connections in South Korea can take three to six months. If one of your planned sites lacks adequate grid capacity, the deployment timeline shifts regardless of hardware availability. Our feasibility assessments include a grid connection status check based on documentation you provide from KEPCO or your electrical contractor.