Busan: South Korea is set to host a series of major international energy events this week in the southeastern city of Busan, including the World Climate Industry Expo (WCE) and a meeting of energy ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, the energy ministry said Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the WCE will take place from Wednesday to Friday at the BEXCO convention center in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The event aims to bring together global leaders in the climate and energy sectors under the theme "Energy for AI, and AI for Energy," as stated by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
International Energy Agency (IEA) Secretary General Fatih Birol and officials from global tech giants, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Google, will participate in global conferences to be held as part of the WCE. They will exchange views on smart energy, artificial intelligence (AI), carbon emission reduction, and other issues.
At the expo, around 540 companies, including Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., will showcase technologies on renewable energy and carbon neutrality. They will also present next-generation energy solutions, such as South Korea's plan to build high-voltage direct current (HVDC) infrastructure across the nation.
From Monday to Wednesday, South Korea will also host the 16th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) meeting and the 10th Mission Innovation (MI) meeting at BEXCO under the theme "Energizing Cooperation for a Prosperous Future."
The APEC energy ministers' meeting will take place Wednesday and Thursday at APEC House and Paradise Hotel in Busan. The meeting will gather energy chiefs of the 21 APEC member economies, including the United States, China, Japan, Australia, Russia, and Malaysia, to discuss global energy security and the response to soaring electricity demand sparked by the growth of AI and advanced industries, according to the ministry.