[Series] "Nurturing AI with Green Energy"... Honam Declares 'Clean Tech' Initiative

<3>Solving Regional Extinction Through Science and Technology
Combining 30% Renewable Energy, the "Green Engine," with AI
Alleviating Metropolitan Power Shortages with the "Honam AI Computing Grid"
Industrializing Infrastructure Exports... Mega Clusters in Haenam and Saemangeum
Urgent Need for Tailored Regulatory Innovation, Including Regional Electricity Rate Differentiation

Editor's Note
Gwangju, South Jeolla, and North Jeolla-collectively known as the Honam Ultra-Wide Area-have already surpassed the statistical threshold and are now classified as a "danger zone," with warning lights flashing red for regional extinction. Yet, every crisis brings new opportunities. The Honam Bureau of The Asia Business Daily presents a three-part series based on the report "Science and Technology Policy Research for Revitalization of the Honam Ultra-Wide Area" published by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAST), exploring not only the survival of Honam but also its potential to drive a major national leap forward. KAST is Korea's premier science and technology advisory body, comprised of the nation's top scholars who offer collective intelligence and future strategies for the country. The first article covered "ultra-wide governance," which breaks down boundaries between local governments and consolidates research and development capabilities. The second article examined the transformation toward "knowledge-based innovative industries" such as mobility and batteries. The final, third article highlights a convergence model between Honam's asset of "renewable energy" and its driving force, "AI." The report asserts that the survival of local regions equates to national competitiveness, urging a redefinition of these areas not simply as targets for support but as "new engines" for national development. The envisioned "green digital economic zone," created by combining Honam's sunlight and wind with the intelligence of AI, is presented as the only viable alternative to overcoming the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area. We hope this series will serve as a catalyst for establishing practical action plans.

Cover of the report "Science and Technology Policy Research for Revitalization of the Honam Super Metropolitan Area" published by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAST)

The Honam region has made a bold move to seize global leadership in the "green digital" sector, not just within Korea but worldwide. By combining its overwhelming renewable energy production capacity with artificial intelligence (AI), Honam is embarking on a major transformation into a "green AI economic zone" that aims to simultaneously resolve the chronic power shortages in the Seoul metropolitan area and revitalize the local economy. This initiative is being recognized as a core strategy for achieving national "Net-Zero" goals and advancing Korea to the ranks of the AI G3, going beyond mere regional development to enhance national competitiveness.

According to the report "Science and Technology Policy Research for Revitalization of the Honam Ultra-Wide Area" published by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAST) on January 14, the Honam region accounts for 29.7% of Korea's renewable energy production and 31.5% of its power generation (as of 2023), solidifying its status as the country's "energy reservoir." The report proposes the creation of the "Honam AI Computing Grid," which would integrate Gwangju's AI cluster, North Jeolla's physical AI, and South Jeolla's RE100-based data centers into a single ultra-wide network as a key strategy to overcome the threat of regional extinction.

Combining 'AI+RE100'... The 'Honam AI Computing Grid' as a Game Changer

The core roadmap proposed in the report is the so-called "Honam AI Computing Grid." This is a massive integrated operating system that connects the national AI data center in Gwangju, the 3GW-class AI computing infrastructure in Solaseado, South Jeolla, and the physical AI demonstration hub in North Jeolla into a single network.

The biggest obstacle facing the AI industry today is the enormous power consumption and heat generation of data centers. In the Seoul metropolitan area, the power grid is already saturated, making it virtually impossible to build additional data centers. In contrast, Honam boasts abundant clean energy resources, including the 3GW-class Saemangeum and the 16GW-class offshore wind farm in South Jeolla. The report analyzes that, alongside policies to transmit this power to the metropolitan area via high-voltage direct current (HVDC) "energy highways," it is far more economical and efficient to build large-scale data centers directly in Honam, the energy production hub.

The plan envisions a virtuous cycle in which the green energy from South and North Jeolla powers AI infrastructure throughout Gwangju and the region, and the resulting AI solutions are then applied to sectors such as agriculture (Agro-AI), mobility, and energy management systems (VPP).

Exporting 'Green AI Infrastructure'... From Hardware to Software

Honam's strategy goes beyond merely supplying energy. The region aims to localize and export the "green AI infrastructure" itself, which is integrated with renewable energy sources, to the global market.

Specifically, the plan is to optimize next-generation, ultra-high-efficiency cooling and thermal management technologies-including RE100-based microgrids, direct current (DC) distribution systems, and immersion cooling technology-to secure technical leadership in all aspects of data center operations. The plan also includes attracting domestic and international fabless (semiconductor design) companies to Honam by developing low-power NPUs (neural processing units) for data centers and securing advanced AI semiconductor packaging technology.

In fact, a large-scale "AI Supercluster Hub" that includes a massive data center is being developed on approximately 1.2 million pyeong of land in Solaseado, South Jeolla. North Jeolla is preparing for AI-driven innovation in physical industries through its nationally designated "Physical AI" strategic project, focusing on unmanned factories and autonomous agricultural machinery. Gwangju has already secured a global-level high-performance computing infrastructure with 88.5 petaflops (PF) of processing power, supporting companies in their proof-of-concept efforts.

Solving Grid Saturation and Regulatory Innovation Are Key

However, there are significant challenges to realizing this vision. Currently, the Honam region frequently faces "output control" issues, where the power output from abundant renewable energy sources is forcibly limited due to insufficient grid capacity.

The report recommends urgent, tailored regulatory innovations to overcome these obstacles, including: introducing regionally differentiated electricity rates to attract data center companies; establishing detailed guidelines for the Distributed Energy Act; and easing regulations on the use of personal data.

Moon Seunghyun, Distinguished Professor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), emphasized, "Honam holds both of the two key drivers of the future economy: AI and renewable energy. When the science and technology of the 'Honam brand,' which combines these two assets on an ultra-wide scale, becomes established, we will witness a miracle where talent and capital flow back into Honam, rather than young people leaving for the metropolitan area in search of jobs."