Jeonnam Shares Strategies for Advancing as a Global Hub for Artificial Solar Energy

Forum Inviting Oh Youngguk, President of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy

On the 25th, Jeollanam-do held a forum titled "The Game Changer of Future Clean Energy, Fusion Energy" at the Wangin Room of the provincial government office, inviting Oh Youngguk, president of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy. Provided by Jeonnam Province

On April 25, Jeollanam-do held a forum titled "The Game Changer of Future Clean Energy, Fusion Energy" at the Wangin Room of the provincial government office, inviting Oh Youngguk, president of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, to share policy directions for advancing as a global hub for artificial solar energy.

Approximately 300 participants, including officials from the Jeollanam-do provincial government and city and county offices, attended the forum, demonstrating strong interest in future energy transition trends and artificial solar energy.

In his special lecture, President Oh explained, "Fusion energy is a clean energy source based on the principle by which the sun generates its own light, resulting in zero carbon emissions. It is a future energy technology with virtually unlimited fuel, offering both safety and sustainability." He further emphasized, "Korea possesses world-class fusion technology through international collaborative research on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the operation of the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (K-STAR) facility."

He also noted, "Jeonnam is a region with a strong foundation in renewable energy industries such as hydrogen, solar, and wind power, giving it significant potential for synergy with the fusion industry." He predicted, "If the region continues to support and invest in local infrastructure, along with the superconducting test facility currently under construction, there will be a wide range of opportunities, including R&D linked to fusion and attracting artificial solar research facilities."

Jeonnam, centered around the Bitgaram Innovation City in Naju, where the headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corporation and over 600 power-related companies are clustered, is equipped with an outstanding residential environment and energy infrastructure. As a result, it is considered an optimal location for attracting national artificial solar research facilities and establishing a fusion industry ecosystem in the future.

Based on these strengths, Jeonnam has attracted the Ministry of Science and ICT's "Superconducting Conductor Test Facility" project (totaling 49.8 billion won), which is currently being established at the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), the world's only energy-specialized university. In addition, through events such as the "2023 Jeonnam Artificial Sun Forum" and the "Jeonnam Artificial Sun Business Meeting," the province continues to share domestic and international fusion R&D trends and expand the foundation for industry-academia-research collaboration.

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