National Research Institutes "All-Out Effort to Develop Technologies for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050"

Afternoon of the 26th: 'Vision Declaration Ceremony Held'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Government-affiliated national research institutes have pledged to do their best to develop core technologies for realizing '2050 Carbon Neutrality.'

On the 26th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held a 'Research Institute Vision Declaration Ceremony for Realizing 2050 Carbon Neutrality' at the auditorium of the Korea Institute of Energy Research in Daejeon, chaired by Minister Choi Ki-young, with about 30 heads of related research institutes in attendance.

Earlier, to align with international efforts to respond to climate change, last year President Moon Jae-in promised to achieve 'carbon neutrality' by 2050 through active production of renewable energy and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. In particular, to realize this, on the 31st of last month, the government announced the 'Carbon Neutral Technology Innovation Promotion Strategy,' pledging to focus on developing 10 core technologies. On the 20th of this month, the Climate Change Response Technology Development Promotion Act (Climate Technology Act) was enacted and promulgated, establishing a systematic support basis for carbon neutral technology development.

Accordingly, on this day, the research institutes announced a 'Vision for Realizing Carbon Neutrality,' expressing their determination to devote themselves to active research and development activities. The main points include ▲contributing to a cleaner Earth and stronger economic growth through carbon neutral innovative technologies ▲focusing the institutions' capabilities on developing carbon neutral innovative technologies ▲actively cooperating in joint research and infrastructure utilization to achieve outstanding carbon neutral technology development results.

After the declaration ceremony, the Korea Institute of Energy Research presented the current status of carbon neutral-related technology development. Currently, at KIER, an on-site hydrogen production plant that produces hydrogen directly at hydrogen charging stations and charges vehicles has been developed. It is made with 100% domestic technology and can produce 643 kg of hydrogen per day (at 7 atmospheres) with a purity of over 99.999%. The technology was already transferred to companies in 2020 (worth 5 billion KRW) and is scheduled to be established in hydrogen pilot cities such as Ansan, Pyeongtaek, and Wanju.

A CIGS solar cell made from new materials (copper, indium, gallium, selenium, etc.) rather than conventional silicon-based materials was also introduced. This CIGS solar cell is about 80% lighter and flexible compared to commercial silicon-based solar cells, and its efficiency has reached the world's highest level, making it expected to be used in various places such as building walls and portable devices in the future. The current world’s highest efficiency is 20.8%, and the efficiency of the CIGS solar cell developed by KIER is 20%. A distributed energy control system that improves the efficiency of renewable energy use in the region by utilizing ICT-based power control technology was also introduced. When additional renewable energy sources such as solar power are added in the region, voltage rises, so separate equipment (such as reactive power compensation devices) is needed to maintain voltage stability. Applying this technology can increase renewable energy usage capacity by 20% compared to existing levels without installing additional equipment.

At the event, Minister Choi Ki-young said, “With today’s vision declaration ceremony as a turning point, I ask each institution to fully leverage their characteristics and strengths to focus on technological innovation,” adding, “The government will prepare support measures such as budget support and deregulation, and will also ensure the smooth preparation of subordinate legislation under the Climate Technology Act to support the efforts of research institutes.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.