Meeting of WG 1 and 2 at BMWK in Berlin

On March 20th the Korean-German Energy Partnership held meetings of both of the Working Groups "Energy Transition: Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency" and "New Green Energy Technologies" at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) in Berlin. The Working Groups plan an integral part in the partnership between BMWK and the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). These Working Group Meetings act as a platform for both sides of the partnership to inform each other about relevant policy developments and industry updates and to decide on future activities of cooperation within the thematic fields of interest.

The Working Group on Energy Transition, co-chaired by Dr Falk Bömeke (BMWK) and Kyoungsoo Lee (MOTIE), convened on topics such as offshore wind policy developments; energy efficiency regulations; power supply security, in particular the phase-out of coal power in both Germany and Korea. The Working Group on New Green Energy Technologies, chaired by Beatrix Massig (BMWK) and Kyoungsoo Lee (MOTIE) discussed both countries' hydrogen strategies; received an input presentation by Elisabeth Sterner about H2Global as a global market ramp-up instrument, followed by inputs on the field of smart grids and energy storage systems, in particular the provision of short term grid flexibility via EVs and solutions to enhance power system stability with the integration of renewables.

All of the discussed technologies and strategies play a crucial role in realizing the decarbonization goals of each respective country. Thus, both sides welcome the exchange of knowledge and the valuable insights gained from the comparative perspective. The participants also emphasized the importance of regular and in-depth meetings, especially in the field of hydrogen, due to the need for a fast development and deployment of the technologies. This event was co-organized by: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, AHK Korea (Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Korean Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) and adelphi.