Power generation of renewable energy such as solar and wind is significantly affected by weather conditions. To ensure effective and stable management of renewable energy, national businesses, academies, research institutes, and local government collaborate to launch a joint project.

  Yi Chang-keun, the President of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), conducted a signboard hanging ceremony for the Convergence Research Center of SCI (Sector Coupling and Integration) at Jeju Global Research Center on November. 16 (Thurs), 2023. Among the participants in the ceremony were Kim, Bok-Cheol; Chairperson of the National Research Council; Oh Young-Hun, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province; and Hyun-Jae Kim, President of the Korea Energy Economics Institute.

  The Convergence Research Center of SCI will develop core technologies to enable the storage of power generation as heat, gases (hydrogen, methane), or water-energy. These stored forms can then be utilized in various sectors such as industry, housing, transportation, farming, and fishing. In a nutshell, the SCI technologies to be developed will be able to effectively manage renewable power generation. Furthermore, the demonstration will be done for the first time in the world, speeding up the commercialization of the related technologies.

  Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, which has seen the biggest increase in renewable power generation capacity in the country, has been consistently implementing limits on renewable power generation in recent years. In 2019, there were 77 instances when the limit for wind power generation was reached, resulting in a recorded loss of 3.4 billion won. In 2021, the limit for solar power generation began to be implemented, occurring 124 times in 2022, with one limit being issued every three days. Therefore, SCI technologies are receiving more attention in order to increase the acceptance of renewable energy for transportation and storage of power between electric and non-electric sources.

  For this research and development (R&D) project, 22 research institutes, academies, businesses, and a local government are involved. These include the KIER, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, the Korea Energy Economics Institute, and the Pohang University of Science and Technology, Hanyang Univ., the Tech University of Korea, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Jeju Energy Corporation, and Quantum Solution Corporation that jointly launch a consortium with funding of 46.1 billion Korean won for the coming 6 years.

  Yi Chang-keun, the President of the KIER, believes that the future of energy relies on SCI technologies. These technologies combine electricity generated from water-energy, heat, and hydrogen with non-electricity areas, making a significant contribution to achieving carbon neutrality. It is important for Jeju-do, a leader in carbon-neutral policies, to become a demonstration space for SCI technologies.