On the 24th of May 2023, the 4th meeting of the Working Group 1 on “Energy Transition” took place at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in Busan, Korea. Aligned with the theme of a preceding workshop on public acceptance for wind energy, which was hosted by the Korean-German Energy Partnership team on the previous day, the first part of the meeting focused on wind energy deployment and its acceptance.

After representatives from the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BWMK) provided an overview and an update on offshore wind policy in the respective country, insights from the workshop on public acceptance were shared. In Korea, the expansion of offshore wind energy is gaining momentum. Korea has recently introduced the expansion target of 19.3 GW wind energy capacity by 2030 in the 10th Basic Plan on Electricity Demand and Supply (compared to 0,1 GW in 2021). Korea currently discusses the introduction of a one-stop-shop system for offshore wind projects that would centralize and simplify auction and approval procedures. The government also plans further measures, such as profit-sharing, to increase acceptance of local residents and fishers. In comparison, Germany has a longer track record and more experience with the deployment of wind energy and works with a centralized model for planning and commissioning. In 2021, the total installed capacity of offshore wind energy amounted to 7.8 GW. While the technology generally enjoys good acceptance among the German population, reaching the ambitious government targets of 30 GW by 2030, 40 GW by 2035 and 70 GW by 2045 within the relatively small Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (33,000 km² compared to 430,000 km² in Korea) remains a challenge.

The second part of the meeting concentrated on the definition and planning of future activities of the working group. Focus topics are, amongst others, in-depth exchange on offshore wind, energy efficiency in buildings, status and policies for heat pumps, and power supply security. Both sides are looking forward to future cooperation and to exchange ideas on how to achieve each country’s climate ambitions. 

On the 23rd of May 2023, a workshop on increasing public acceptance of wind energy projects was held in Seoul. Over the course of the day, six presentations provided interesting insights into the current developments in the field of wind energy policy in Germany and Korea, the country-specific challenges and efforts in the development of wind energy, what public acceptance means theoretically and how it can be achieved practically. The different country- and region-specific factors were analyzed and suitable approaches for increasing acceptance were discussed.

Furthermore, participants were able to contribute their own experiences and perspectives on the topics of "Financial Participation", "Public Participation and Conflict Facilitation" and "Social Acceptance of Carbon-Free Energy Systems" in the enclosed panel discussion. The workshop showed that early involvement of citizens in the development of wind power projects is crucial for the acceptance of wind energy. The experts argued further that acceptance is generally increased by participatory and financial involvement of citizens.

The first Cooperation Committee Meeting of the Korean-German Energypartnership was successfully held to discuss the results of the cooperation so far and set the goals and priorities for the future activities within the energy partnership.

Dr. Dominik Schnichels, Director General of External Economic Policy at teh Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and Mr. Young-Ghil Cheon, Deputy Minister for Energy Industry at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), opened the meeting with an update on current energy policy in the two countries and a fruitful exchange on national and global energy related challenges and approaches to address them. Both sides stressed the need to deal with rising energy prices and the importance of shielding vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the social acceptance of renewable energies, offshorewindenergy , energyefficiency, energy-storage systems, EVs, smart grids, and green hydrogen certification were among the many topics discussed. These topics will be followed-up upon further in the respective working groups on Energy Transition and New Green Energy Technologies.

Furthermore, the past and future Korean-German Energy Day was discussed. The last event in December 2022 on the economic potentials of net zero was already the 4th KGED in the history of the Korean-German dialogue on energy-related issues, bringing together decision-makers from policy, industry and research. The fifth edition of the format is expected to take place at the end of May 2023 back-to-back with the World Climate Industry Expo 2023 in Busan, Korea.

In conclusion, all participants of the meeting acknowledged the good cooperation so far and expressed their motivation to further deepen the exchange within the partnership in the future.

Find the full report of the conference here.

The 4th Korean-German Energy Day took place  on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) as a physical conference in Berlin. It was co-organized by the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) and adelphi, and supported by the OAV – German Asia-Pacific Business Association, the IER – Institute of Energy Economics and Rational Energy Use at the University of Stuttgart, and the Wuppertal Institute.

The main topic of the 4th Korean-Germany Energy Day was “Net Zero: Embrace the opportunities of the Energy Transition”. Aligned with the event’s title this year’s Korean-German Energy Day explored different opportunities of the energy transition against the backdrop of this challenging time of global energy insecurity that we are currently facing.

The conference was opened with video messages from the co-hosts Dr. Patrick Graichen, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), and Mr. Young-Ghil Cheon, Deputy Minister for Energy Industry at the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). Both stressed the urgency of joint action through deepened international cooperation and the particular importance of strengthening energy security and the efforts towards carbon neutrality. As industry representatives, Ms. Danielle Jarski, Chief Development Officer (CDO) Offshore Wind of RWE Renewables, and Mr. Seong-Jun Bae, Vice President for Energy Strategy of SK ecoplant, provided insights from the German and Korean industry perspective. Both highlighted their companies’ efforts in contributing to a fully renewable energy supply, in the transition towards a circular economy and expressed their intention to deepen cooperation with Korean and German partners, respectively.

The remainder of the day was filled with insightful presentations on the current status of hydrogen policies and hydrogen pilot projects from both Germany and Korea, on energy efficiency best practices and the effectiveness of policy measures to increase energy efficiency. Three distinct panel discussions with diverse perspectives from experts in policy, industry, academia and research on (1) the economic opportunities of the energy transition, (2) the current status and industry examples for clean hydrogen, and (3) the effectiveness of different energy efficiency policy measures, completed the conference.

The event in retrospect provided a platform for energy experts from government, industry, research and civil society to exchange views, engage with one another, finally network again in face-to-face encounters and learn from each other’s experiences.

Besides the meetings of two working groups of the Korean-German Energy Partnership, the business exchange sub-committee of the Working Group on “Nuclear Decommissioning” reconvened for the 4th time on 6th December in Berlin. The focus was to discuss the current status on nuclear decomissioning in Germany and Korea and potential for future cooperation.

The ongoing developments in Germany and Korea were considered via presentations from Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH (NS) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP). In the following discussion, the Korean representatives stressed the so far limited experience of Korea with decommissioning, treatment and disposal of nuclear waste and reactors. On the other hand, Germany gained experience with nuclear decommissioning while phasing out their nuclear power plants. Therefore, both sides are interested in continuing the exchange on the hands-on knowledge from Germany and the sharing of best practice examples.

Following the meeting of the WG1 on “Energy Transition”, the 4th meeting of the Working Group on “New Green Energy Technologies” took place in Berlin on December 6th.

The MOTIE and the BMWK discussed recent policy developments in the respective partner country such as the newly introduced policy measures to support the domestic hydrogen industry by the Korean government. Moreover, the German ministry shared its current efforts regarding the deployment of green hydrogen projects in light of the spiking energy prices. The meeting then focused on hydrogen certification schemes. An overview over national and international initiatives for clean and green H2-certification was given via a presentation from adelphi. This was followed by presentations from dena and H2-Korea and a discussion on the specific cases of Korea and Germany/in the EU. 
Overall, representatives of the ministries welcomed the active work of the working group and praised the success of the implemented formats. Both sides are looking forward to future cooperation and the upcoming meetings.

On 6th December 2022, the third meeting of the Working Group on “Energy Transition” took place at the BMWK in Berlin. The meeting was the first in-person meeting of both partner ministries in a long time. Representatives from the MOTIE and the BMWK presented recent policy updates and developments on energy efficiency, renewable energies and discussed the effects of the ongoing energy crisis. Furthermore, the meeting presented a great opportunity to reflect on past and possible future activities of the working group, covering topics like offshore wind energy and energy efficiency. Both sides look forward to deepening the fruitful exchange in the next year!

On October 17, 2022, the Korean-German Business Forum on Offshore Wind Energy, co-organized by the German Embassy Seoul, the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) and further supported by adlephi was held in Seoul.
The forum aimed to intensify business exchange and collaboration in the offshore wind industry and to provide a platform for the German and Korean governments to present their policies and lessons learned for the development of offshore wind. Leading German companies in the industry participated on-site to present their know-how and project progress in front of around 140 interested industry experts and decision makers. The Korea Wind Energy Industry Association and S&P Global Commodity Insights provided further insights into the Korean offshore wind market. Additionally, representatives of the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action and the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy presented the status quo of offshore wind-related policies. Following the presentations from the private and public sector, a panel discussion was held on the topic: "Challenges and opportunities for the domestic offshore wind power industry and opportunities for cooperation between Korea and Germany". The forum successfully ended with a lively Q&A session between the audience and the panelists.

German and Korean experts from industry, science and politics joined the 3rd Germany-Korea Hydrogen Conference to discuss topics concerning international hydrogen economy and policy,  import logistics and value chains, safety in logistics, and further key topics about hydrogen.

The 3rd Germany-Korea Hydrogen Conference took place in Berlin over two days from the 27th to the 28th of September 2022. The focus of the conference was on hydrogen, as Korea and Germany are set to become major net importers of hydrogen and face similar challenges in terms of transport and logistics. This makes green hydrogen a cornerstone of the energy transition and decarbonisation. Experts from politics and science presented potentials and challenges for the development of a hydrogen economy in Korea and Germany. The first session focused on the importance of increased cooperation between the two countries based on shared values and strong trade relations. A good example of this cooperation and highlight of the conference was the signing of the cooperation agreement on the new Fraunhofer Hydrogen Innovation Platform at KENTECH University in Korea.

As part of the conference, the Korean-German Energy Partnership team at adelphi, in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IMWS and the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, organised a tour of the Leuna Chemical Park for interested Korean participants. The tour started at the hydrogen laboratory of Fraunhofer IWES and the chemical complex of Linde with a hydrogen liquefier and electrolyser, to learn more about the research, production and use of hydrogen. The visit concluded at the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP for further insights into the development and scaling-up of PtX processes.

The conference was organised as part of the H2DeKo research project of the Fraunhofer IMWS in collaboration with Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH). The research takes place in close partnership with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), MOTIE, the Fraunhofer Representative Office Korea, the Korean German Energy Partnership team and H2KOREA.

An Expert Meeting on “Green Hydrogen” took place in the framework of the Working Group 2, New Green Technologies, of the Korean-German Energy Partnership on November 30th, 2021. The focus was on green hydrogen strategies of both countries, the strengthening of international cooperation for the production of green hydrogen and the generation of green hydrogen via offshore wind. 

December 2020

This year's Korean-German Energy Day took place as a digital conference with more than 160 participants from politics, business and science. While the first day focused on a socially just energy transition, the second day was devoted to green hydrogen and was complemented by a virtual exhibition. The third day explored offshore wind and solar potentials and technologies.

The 7^th Fireplace Talk gave energy experts the opportunity to exchange views on strategies, challenges and successes with regard to increasing energy efficiency in the building sector in both partner countries. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fireplace Talk for the first time took place as an online event.

In December 2019, a four-day study trip took place in Berlin to deepen the dialogue between Germany and Korea on the subject of energy efficiency. A Korean delegation of 24 people from MOTIE, subordinate institutions, the state electricity supplier KEPCO, research institutes and journalists visited the (BMWi) as well as several large companies. The delegation gained insight into energy efficiency measures in the German industry and building sectors.

The 2^nd Korean-German Energy Day brought together 100 experts to discuss the potential of smart grids for the system integration of renewables. Korea is leading in the field of energy storage and smart grid technologies and Germany has expertise in the development of renewable energy and flexible power grids. The event accompanied the International Renewable Energy Conference (KIREC) in Seoul.