The exact cause of the latest mishap remains unclear. Hanwha is blaming Korea Electric Power Corp., saying there was a problem in the electricity supply which damaged the lightning arrestors. But KEPCO says the problem was due to Hanwha's failure to replace aging lightning arrestors. It remains to be seen which side of the story is true. But aside from determining blame, a more fundamental set of measures must be devised so that we don't end up losing tens of billions of won each time there's a blackout at a state-run industrial complex.

Even if power is cut off just for a second, petrochemical companies must destroy all of the chemicals being processed that have been left inside its pipelines. That's why the losses are so big. Burning these chemicals, so they don't end up clogging the pipes, creates dark smoke which is harmful to the environment. And the losses snowball since it takes at least one or two days before production can resume after the accident is taken care of.

This is why there must be no blackouts at petrochemical plants. And even if there is a power failure, a system must be set in place to ensure a smooth supply of electricity. POSCO's steel mill in Pohang has three separate power supply routes, and its steel mill in Gwangyang has two. This way a problem involving one supply channel doesn't disrupt the entire supply of electricity. In contrast, there's only one power supply channel in Yeosu, making it impossible to prevent losses from momentary blackouts. KEPCO and the businesses at the Yeosu industrial complex should stop blaming each other and come up with solid measures to ensure expanded channels of power supply.

(englishnews@chosun.com )