With COP28 as an Opportunity... EU, Romania, UAE, and Other Promising Nuclear Power Partners Engage in Contract Acquisition Activities

On the occasion of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Vice Minister Kang Kyung-sung actively engaged in focused contract acquisition activities targeting promising nuclear power cooperation countries over two days from the 1st to the 2nd in Dubai, UAE, and actively requested support for the Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) initiative, the ministry announced on the 3rd.

On the 1st, Vice Minister Kang met with Ditte Juul Jorgensen, Director-General of the European Union (EU) Directorate-General for Energy, to introduce Korea’s CFE initiative. He emphasized that to simultaneously achieve energy security and carbon neutrality, it is essential to actively utilize not only renewable energy but also carbon-free energy sources such as nuclear power, hydrogen, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The EU side agreed on the need to utilize all carbon-free energy from a technology-neutral perspective to achieve carbon neutrality and stated that they would review Korea’s CFE initiative proposal.

Both sides agreed to establish a 'Korea-EU Energy Dialogue' early next year to discuss energy security, the transition to clean energy, and the CFE initiative for continued cooperation in the energy sector.

The following day, Vice Minister Kang met with Sebastian-Ioan Burduja, Minister of Energy of Romania, expressing hope that nuclear cooperation between the two countries would further develop based on the Cernavod? nuclear power plant tritium removal facility construction project won by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in June. In response, Romania requested Korea, known for its "timely construction within budget," to actively participate in the resumption of construction for units 3 and 4 of Cernavod? and the pumped storage hydroelectric facility project, to which Korea agreed to actively cooperate.

He also met with Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), and discussed expanding nuclear cooperation based on the success of the Barakah nuclear power plant construction, including new nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel cooperation, and joint ventures in third countries.

Vice Minister Kang said, "This meeting targeted promising nuclear power contract countries," adding, "Along with active sales activities such as high-level meetings in the future, we will strive to create an export ecosystem that enables domestic nuclear power companies to expand overseas and achieve tangible results." He further stated, "We requested support from other countries for the CF alliance proposed by President Yoon Suk-yeol at the UN General Assembly last September, and we will actively seek specific cooperation measures with major countries for the spread of carbon-free energy and decarbonization of industrial sectors."

Kang Kyung-sung, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (File photo)
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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