Naju City in Jeollanam-do announced on the 19th that it signed a business agreement on the 18th at the Seojaepil Room of Jeollanam-do Provincial Office with Jeollanam-do and the Korea Accelerator and Plasma Research Association (Chairman Hwang Yong-seok) to establish an artificial sun research facility.
Naju City signed a business agreement on the 18th with Jeonnam Province and the Korea Accelerator and Plasma Research Association to establish an artificial sun research facility. [Photo by Naju City]
The agreement ceremony was attended by Ahn Sang-hyun, Deputy Mayor of Naju, Kang Sang-gu, Director of the Energy Industry Bureau of Jeollanam-do, and Chairman Hwang Yong-seok, among others.
According to the agreement, each institution will cooperate to create a research hub facility for the ‘artificial sun,’ which will be a cornerstone of the future energy industry, foster specialized research personnel, and engage in academic exchanges such as forums, seminars, and discussions related to the artificial sun.
Furthermore, they agreed to mutually prioritize attracting energy sector companies including those related to the artificial sun, supporting corporate activities, and developing technologies to enhance the industrial competitiveness of the artificial sun.
The artificial sun can be defined as a clean energy production device that obtains large-scale nuclear fusion energy without carbon emissions, using hydrogen from seawater as raw material.
In theory, 1 gram (g) of hydrogen can produce energy comparable to 8 tons (t) of petroleum, making it virtually an infinite energy source. Above all, it is safe because it uses nuclear fusion rather than the nuclear fission method of nuclear power generation.
The city, in cooperation with Jeollanam-do and the Korea Energy Engineering University, has proactively taken the lead in establishing artificial sun research facilities, including launching the ‘superconducting conductor test facility’ project, one of the eight core technologies of the artificial sun, as the first local government in the country in 2022.
In May of this year, Naju City enacted the ‘Naju City Hydrogen Fusion Energy Research and Development and Industry Promotion Ordinance,’ making every effort to establish the foundation for artificial sun research facilities.
Ahn Sang-hyun, Deputy Mayor of Naju, said, “Naju City, equipped with a pleasant living environment and industry-academia-research infrastructure such as KEPCO and Korea Energy Engineering University, is the optimal location for establishing an artificial sun research facility. We will strengthen cooperation among Naju City, Jeollanam-do, and academia through this agreement ceremony and do our best to ensure the successful establishment of the artificial sun research facility.”
Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
