Korean-German Business Forum on Offshore Wind

The Korean-German Business Forum on Offshore Wind was held on the 11th of October in Seoul, Korea. The event, jointly organized by AHK Korea (Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry), the German Embassy in Seoul and the Korean-German Energy Partnership, focused on the role of government and industry leaders in fostering Korea’s offshore wind energy deployment.

In their welcome remarks, Dr. Martin Henkelmann (AHK Korea), Georg Schmidt (German Embassy Seoul), Kyungrok Jung (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, MOTIE), and Dr. Christian Forwick (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, BMWK) emphasized the immense potential of offshore wind energy in both Germany and Korea to achieve their climate targets. The first session, titled "Challenges and Opportunities of Centralized Government-led Offshore Wind Strategies" was initiated by Dr. Norman Ruhnke (BMWK), who shared lessons from Germany’s transition to a centralized and competitive government-led offshore wind development model. The subsequent panel discussion, featuring Joojin Kim (Solutions for Our Climate), Gui Duo, Gwen Lim (Deutsche Bank), David Jones (RWE), and Byeong-cheol Yoo (Incheon Metropolitan City), focused on the current challenges within the Korean system and potential improvements to accelerate offshore wind energy deployment.

The second session highlighted the benefits of offshore wind energy in Korea. Seungwan Kim (NEXT group & Korea Institute of Energy Technology, KENTECH) discussed its importance for Korea’s future economy and the necessary steps to drive deployment. A subsequent panel with Norman Ruhnke (BMWK), Tony Jiyon Kim (TÜV SÜD), Evan Eungsuk Lee (Skyborn Renewables), Yun-seop Keum (Baywa r.e.), Yeon-bin Yang (Korea Energy Economics Institute), and Sang-hun Kim (Taihan Cable & Solution) delved into the advantages for Korea. Participants agreed that offshore wind energy could not only help achieve climate neutrality targets and enhance energy security but also contribute to the economy by providing jobs in a future oriented industry and unlocking business opportunities in the global market.

The final session concentrated on the role of grid infrastructure for offshore wind energy. First, Yang-ki Kim (RWE), Jong-hwa Kim (Youngin Energy Solutions), Hoon Jeong (National Assembly Futures Institute) and KyungSik Jun (Siemens Energy) provided insights on the topic. Following their presentations, participants engaged in a discussion with Hee-jip Kim (Eneridea/ Seoul National University) and Sungkyu Lee (Korea Electric Power Corporation, KEPCO) about the current status of Korea’s grid. Participants concurred that the grid requires significant strengthening and timely development to support the expansion of offshore wind energy. Overall, the event showcased the great potential for offshore wind energy in Korea, but also emphasized current challenges such as the need for grid expansion and a long-term political strategy.