Saemangeum is emerging as a key hub for South Korea's clean energy transition and the realization of RE100, which involves sourcing 100 percent of electricity from renewable energy.
The 2026 Saemangeum Clean Energy Expo, hosted by Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province and Gunsan City and organized by Jeollabuk Technopark, will be held over two days on September 17 and 18 at Gunsan Saemangeum Convention Center (GSCO).
Under the slogan "Energy transition beginning with sunlight and wind, RE100 Jeollabuk," the expo will focus on the present and future of Jeollabuk's clean energy industries, including renewable energy, hydrogen, and RE100.
The event is expected to serve as a venue to widely publicize the province's clean energy policies and industrial status at home and abroad, while building a dense network among industry, academia, research, and government to promote expansion of the regional energy industry ecosystem and facilitate technology and information exchange.
The opening ceremony, held at 10:30 a.m. on September 17, will begin with a Sinjeon performance, followed by opening remarks and congratulatory messages from key figures, as well as a thematic video presenting Jeollabuk's clean energy vision.
A keynote lecture and opening performance will follow.
A highlight of the opening ceremony will be the signing of a memorandum of understanding on "building a symbiotic cooperation ecosystem for offshore wind industry" among Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province, Gunsan City, Kunsan National University, and Unison, a wind power specialist company.
Under this MOU, each institution and company plans to pursue the use of major offshore wind equipment produced in the province, expansion of investment in the Gunsan area related to offshore wind turbines and enhancement of research, maintenance and operations (O&M) infrastructure, and cultivation of specialized research personnel and joint technology cooperation.
This is expected to accelerate the formation of an offshore wind value chain centered on the Saemangeum area.
Clean Energy Forum Sessions
The "Clean Energy Forum," a core program of the expo, will be divided into three sections covering renewable energy, hydrogen, and RE100, running intensively over two days.
Session 1, held on the afternoon of September 17, will address "Saemangeum's renewable energy transition and industrial ecosystem expansion," presenting Jeollabuk's renewable energy policy challenges, wind power interference issues, and the current status and future roadmaps of offshore wind projects by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Korea East-West Power (EWP).
Session 2 on the morning of September 18 will cover "the future of large-scale clean hydrogen storage, transportation, and utilization as a new industry," while Session 3 in the afternoon will address "RE100 implementation and corporate energy transition strategy," discussing practical energy transition solutions for domestic companies responding to global environmental regulations.
Exhibition and Promotion Booths
Exhibition and promotion areas will be significantly enhanced compared to previous years.
The exhibition hall in Convention Hall 1 will feature 19 companies from the clean energy sector, including solar, hydrogen, and wind, participating with 22 booths to showcase next-generation energy technologies and related products.
Latest research paper poster exhibitions by master's and doctoral researchers from universities in the province will also be held, adding academic depth.
A separately organized "Clean Energy Comprehensive Hall" will highlight Jeollabuk's clean energy transition vision, the Saemangeum renewable energy cluster, large-scale offshore wind, the designation of Saemangeum RE100 industrial complex, distributed energy, next-generation power grids based on energy storage systems and artificial intelligence, the hydrogen industry ecosystem, and Saemangeum's advanced industry investment vision in artificial intelligence, robotics, and hydrogen.
Additionally, various side events will be held simultaneously, including an academic presentation session for regional energy clusters, an RE100 energy solutions alliance forum and new project planning presentation session, a working-level coordination body for energy industry convergence complex related agencies, a meeting with companies housed in the Saemangeum Comprehensive Support Center, and a Honam region Energy Technology University (ETU) network exchange session.
Officials from Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province and Jeollabuk Technopark stated that "this expo will serve as a turning point in establishing a complete virtuous cycle ecosystem spanning from energy production to corporate use and new industry development, leveraging Saemangeum's abundant renewable energy resources and Jeollabuk's clean energy industry capabilities."
Original Korean article: bizwnews.com
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
