Realizing Artificial Sun and Exploring Regional Industry Linkage to Lead Global Energy Transition
Full-Scale Promotion of Artificial Sun Ecosystem Establishment as a Clean Energy Source in the Carbon Neutral Era
Pohang City Fosters Clean Energy... Creating New Growth Engines for Regional Industry
On the 27th, Pohang City held the ‘Future Clean Energy Forum’ at the POSCO International Hall, firmly expressing its determination to lead the global energy transition using nuclear fusion energy.
They are holding a group commemorative photo with a placard that reads "Pohang, the optimal site for the future clean energy industry shining with artificial sun." Photo by Pohang City
Under the theme ‘Innovation Opening the Future of Energy, Opening a Green Future with Artificial Sun,’ the forum was attended by about 300 people, including Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, Kim Il-man, Chairman of the Pohang City Council, Lee Young-seok, Head of the East Coast Regional Headquarters of Gyeongbuk Province, Oh Young-guk, Director of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, and experts from academia, industry, and government, discussing the future and commercialization strategies of nuclear fusion energy.
The keynote lecture of the forum was delivered by Kwon Myeon, former Director of the National Fusion Research Institute, who introduced the global status of nuclear fusion research and private sector technology development trends under the theme ‘Global Status of Nuclear Fusion.’
Following this, Hwang Ri-ho, Executive Director of Bitsronex Tech, presented on ‘Trends in the Nuclear Fusion Industry and Global Market Entry,’ and Professor Hwang Yong-seok of Seoul National University gave a presentation titled ‘The Path to Accelerating Nuclear Fusion Commercialization,’ deeply addressing the potential and current status of technology development in nuclear fusion energy.
In the panel discussion chaired by Professor Hwang Yong-seok of Seoul National University, participants included Professor Yoon Geon-su of POSTECH, Professor Kim Young-chul of KAIST, Executive Director Hwang Ri-ho, Director Park Chan-guk of the Korea Energy Economics Institute, and Director Lee Chang-hoon of the Korea Institute of Materials Science, sharing opinions on nuclear fusion technology research and commercialization.
In particular, multifaceted discussions were held on ▲linking regional industries with nuclear fusion technology ▲nuclear fusion workforce development plans ▲responses to socio-economic concerns regarding nuclear fusion energy ▲development of nuclear fusion materials and their connection to regional industries.
The attendees deeply agreed that nuclear fusion energy will be the core of future energy transition and shared the view that once nuclear fusion is commercialized, humanity will enter an era of cleaner and safer energy.
Pohang City possesses world-class large-scale scientific research infrastructure and highly skilled personnel, including POSTECH, the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, and the Pohang Light Source. It is a unique region with a fully autonomous research ecosystem covering the entire cycle from basic research to commercialization and workforce development, providing an optimal environment for artificial sun research.
Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “Pohang has an excellent research foundation for realizing clean energy technology,” adding, “We will do our best to establish a future clean energy ecosystem so that Pohang can play a leading role in the global energy transition and leap forward as a global energy hub.”
Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, delivering a congratulatory speech at the Future Clean Energy Forum held at the POSCO International Hall on the 27th. Photo by Pohang City
In line with the 2050 carbon neutrality goal, Pohang City plans to build an artificial sun industry ecosystem, recognized as the next-generation clean energy source, and focus its capabilities on creating new growth engines for the regional industry through research and development (R&D), workforce training, technology commercialization, and attracting energy institutions and companies.
Nuclear fusion energy is a technology that reproduces the nuclear fusion reactions occurring in the sun on Earth to generate energy. It is attracting attention as a next-generation energy source with high energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. In particular, it has the potential to generate energy equivalent to 8 tons of oil from just 1 gram of hydrogen, making it a key technology expected to lead the carbon-neutral era.
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