KEPCO Launches Public-Private Council to Revitalize the Solar Inverter Industry

Over 50 Organizations from Government, Industry, and Academia Join Forces
Promoting Energy Security and Supply Chain Reinforcement
Focusing on Localization, Demonstration, and Market Creation

Professor Seungho Song of Kwangwoon University’s Department of Electrical Engineering (from left), Ho Hyun Lee, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Jeong Chikyo, Senior Executive Vice President of Safety, Operations and Distribution at Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Sungyeop Kim, CEO of OCI Power, are performing a ceremony at the solar inverter industry development council inauguration held on the 8th at EL Tower in Yangjae, Seoul. Korea Electric Power Corporation

Korea Electric Power Corporation has launched a public-private council in collaboration with the government, industry, and academia to restore the stagnant domestic solar inverter industry ecosystem and strengthen energy security. This initiative aims to localize core power equipment and reinforce the domestic industrial base amid growing concerns over global supply chain instability and energy security issues.

On May 8, Korea Electric Power Corporation established the "Solar Inverter Industry Development Council" with the government, industry, academia, and research institutes at El Tower in Yangjae, Seoul.

The event was attended by Ho Hyun Lee, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Kyungyo Jeong, Vice President of Safety and Power Distribution at Korea Electric Power Corporation, as well as officials from the Korea Energy Agency, Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, OCI Power, HD Hyundai Energy Solutions, and more than 50 representatives from government, public institutions, and companies.

Korea Electric Power Corporation explained that the launch of this council is the result of a series of meetings and policy discussions it held with major manufacturers since the second half of last year. During the process of gathering on-site feedback, the need for an integrated public-private-public council was raised.

The government shared its policy direction for strengthening the competitiveness of the solar inverter industry at the event, while Korea Electric Power Corporation presented plans to develop a "next-generation security-enhanced solar inverter" and to discover and foster promising companies in the energy sector through its technology holding company.

Going forward, the council will carry out joint research projects and make policy recommendations. To this end, it will be operated through three divisions: the "Technology Division" for promoting localization of core technologies, the "Infrastructure Division" for establishing technology standards and demonstration testbeds, and the "Policy Division" for discussing the strengthening of the domestic supply chain and market creation.

Korea Electric Power Corporation plans to serve as a control tower for collaboration among industry, academia, research, and government through quarterly regular meetings, and to support the revitalization of the domestic solar inverter industry by facilitating technology transfer, supporting research and development (R&D), and opening up testbeds.

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