Motie: MOTIE attends CEM13 and MI-7 to deepen global partnership for clean energy

Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry’s Energy Industry Deputy Minister Cheon Young-gil attended the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM13) and 7th Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-7) on September 21-23 in Pittsburg, U.S., representing South Korea.

CEM was first launched in 2010 with aim to expand the distribution of clean energy and member states total 30 as of 2022. MI was launched in 2015 to expand clean energy R&D, and member states total 23 as of 2022. South Korea has participated as member state of both since their beginnings.

The host country U.S.’ Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm shared the Industrial Heat Shot as the sixth Energy Earth Shot during her opening message for CEM. Industrial Heat Shot aims to produce industrial heat through clean energy (nuclear, renewable, etc.), while developing innovative means to generate electricity and low temperature processes so as to reduce at least 85 percent of greenhouse gas emissions of industrial heat by 2035.

Member states’ representatives presented their respective energy policy implementation progress and various themes like “Rapid Innovation and Deployment” were discussed in depth.

Korea’s delegation team shared the new regime’s energy policy directions announced in July and emphasized the importance and expansion measures of nuclear energy, as well as the need for efficient innovation of energy demand control.

During the roundtable session between the delegation head and major companies’ CEOs, Korea was assigned two themes: nuclear energy and building energy efficiency.

On nuclear energy, session members discussed the advantages of nuclear energy as clean energy, its success cases and private-sector investment promotion means.

Deputy Minister Cheon stated that “nuclear energy is a stable source of power with stable pricing, highly economical aspects and zero carbon.” He added that “Korea’s new regime plans to utilize a mix of both renewable and nuclear energy to strengthen energy security and achieve carbon neutral.”

As for building energy efficiency, he remarked that “the Korean government is in the process of carrying out various programs, including R&D investment, zero energy construction certification mandate and energy usage management system,” and maintained that governments must factor in the actual construction site environment when specifying relevant rules, so that the private sector carbon neutral construction ecosystem can be well established.

During the CEM13 and MI-7 meetings, the Deputy Minister noted that CEM and MI provide many opportunities for countries to join efforts to innovate clean energy technology. He added that the Yoon administration “prioritizes a reasonable energy mix for stronger energy security and acceleration of clean energy transition, utilization of nuclear energy as clean energy, renewable and hydrogen energy, as well as efficient innovation in industrial, building and transport energy.”

On the sidelines of CEM13 and MI-7, the 8th ISGAN (International Smart Grid Action Network) Awards 2022 was held on September 23, where Korea Electric Power Corporation’s Power Research Institute (KEPRI) and Smart Grid Association were each awarded for their V2G core factors demonstration and smart grid education project, respectively.

In response to the clean energy technology demonstration challenge request, Minister Lee Chang-yang declared Korea’s active participation via videoconferencing, commenting that “the Korean government will continue to further its support for technological commercialization of nuclear and hydrogen energy as well as efficiency innovation,” and added that he “looks forward to greater outcomes through cooperation with other nations.”