Gwangju City Finds Answers at 'Future Energy' Demonstration Site

AI-New Deal Promotion Committee Listens to This Year's Work Plan and Discusses Operation Measures

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Gwangju Metropolitan City AI-New Deal Promotion Committee (Chairman Jo Hwanik) announced on the 25th that it listened to the major work plans for 2022 to realize the Green Smart Fun City and discussed operational plans.

Also, under the Green New Deal Subcommittee (Subcommittee Chairman Kim Gwangran), more than 20 experts and citizen activists observed the energy-related sites and a demonstration of the energy information platform based on real-time power data.

The attendees visited ▲the national artificial intelligence cluster construction site ▲energy share car service site (future-type smart grid demonstration research project) ▲Sinhyochon Village (village-level microgrid demonstration research project) ▲Chosun University (blockchain-based EV-renewable energy linked DC power trading platform system development project) ▲World Cup Stadium parking lot (planned installation of 2.5 MW solar power) ▲Bitgoeul Eco Fuel Cell Power Plant (12.32 MW) construction site and exchanged various opinions.

Through this visit, they experienced the next-generation power system that Gwangju City is focusing on, which connects ‘energy production, consumption, management, and trading,’ and directly confirmed the success potential of an eco-friendly energy self-sufficient ecosystem of various scales such as ‘companies, universities, villages, and industrial complexes.’

In particular, the future-type smart grid demonstration research project conducted with the SKT consortium and the Sinhyochon Village microgrid project involving the entire village residents are attracting attention as successful models of energy independence and benchmarking targets nationwide.

The smart grid is an intelligent power network that, unlike the existing one-way service centered on power producers, applies AI and IT technologies to the power grid, enabling power companies and consumers to exchange real-time information bidirectionally to optimize energy efficiency.

The city has been conducting smart grid demonstrations for three years within a special project with companies, citizens, and research institutions, overcoming legal restrictions on new power services under current laws.

Consumers experienced various power rate plans and directly engaged with an open business platform where they store produced renewable energy in ESS and freely buy and sell surplus electricity.

Finally, they visited the construction site of the 12.32 MW ‘hydrogen fuel cell power plant,’ the first private investment project of the Gwangju Green New Deal.

This site produces hydrogen, which is attracting attention as a future energy source, supplying heat to 26 institutions including the city hall and 480 apartment households, and electricity to about 28,000 households, expected to increase Gwangju’s power self-sufficiency rate by 1.1%.

Accordingly, Gwangju City has set goals five years ahead of the government and is rapidly promoting various policies with the Gwangju community.

As a result, it is evaluated that Gwangju’s efforts for ‘eco-friendly energy transition’ based on voluntary citizen participation and artificial intelligence have borne fruit in a short period of one year and six months.

Chairman Jo Hwanik said, “The core of the Korean New Deal is the Green New Deal, and the core of the Green New Deal is energy transition,” adding, “We expect to lead the future energy transition by linking Gwangju’s strength in artificial intelligence and to take the lead in achieving the national 2030 NDC reduction targets and carbon neutrality.”

Kim Gwangran, Chairman of the Green New Deal Subcommittee, said, “The core of carbon neutrality is the transition to a renewable energy-based system and the future-type smart grid project that connects digital and data to overcome its intermittency,” and urged, “Please strive to spread Gwangju’s exemplary cases nationwide.”

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