KENTECH and UC Berkeley Launch Joint Research on Eco-Friendly Energy Technologies

Korea Energy Technology University and UC Berkeley in the United States are conducting joint research to develop next-generation eco-friendly energy technologies. Photo by Korea Energy Technology University

Korea Energy Tech University (KENTECH) announced on August 12 that it will conduct joint research with the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) in the United States to develop next-generation eco-friendly energy technologies.

This joint research will be led by Professor Myunghwan Oh's research team at KENTECH and Professor Peidong Yang's research team at UC Berkeley. Professor Oh's team specializes in high-performance catalysts and nanomaterial-based energy conversion technologies, while Professor Yang's team has achieved world-class research results in the field of solar energy-based chemical fuel conversion technologies.

Last month, the two institutions officially signed a research agreement to develop "Solar-to-Chemical" technology, which produces chemical fuels using solar energy. Based on this agreement, they plan to continue their joint research through March 2028.

The Solar-to-Chemical technology, which directly converts solar energy into chemical fuels, is being recognized as an innovative alternative that can replace fossil fuel-based production methods. It is attracting attention as a technology that can reduce carbon emissions and establish a sustainable future energy supply system.

This research will focus on maximizing the efficiency and stability of catalyst systems, which are key to solar energy conversion technologies. The two research teams plan to analyze the surface structure and chemical properties of catalysts in real time and to develop new high-performance catalyst materials using artificial intelligence (AI)-based machine learning and molecular simulations (Density Functional Theory, DFT).

Park Jin-ho, Acting President of KENTECH, stated, "This joint research with UC Berkeley is significant as it seeks solutions to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy systems," adding, "KENTECH will use this collaboration as an opportunity to strengthen its global research network and emerge as a leading research institution driving global energy innovation."

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