Business conditions, power supply status, energy policy and industry trends shared
The Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone Authority announced Friday that Park Won-seok, president of the Institute for Policy on Nuclear Energy Industry (IPS), visited the authority to discuss ways to strengthen the industrial competitiveness of the Gwangyang Bay area.
The IPS is a specialized institution that conducts policy research on the nuclear energy industry. It was established in February last year to explore future applications of nuclear energy — including hydrogen production and industrial heat sources beyond conventional power generation — and to chart policy directions for those uses.
The meeting was arranged in response to calls from companies in the Gwangyang Bay zone for a more stable energy supply base. The aim was to discuss ways to boost future industrial competitiveness and support businesses in the area.
During the meeting, Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone Authority Commissioner Gu Chung-gon outlined the zone's industrial infrastructure, the status of tenant companies and the direction of future industry development. Park shared updates on shifts in energy policy and trends across the energy sector, including the nuclear industry.
"As industries move toward the future, a stable supply of large-scale power is a core factor in securing corporate competitiveness," Park said. "Field-centered cooperation is needed to ensure the sustained growth of businesses and industrial development in the Gwangyang Bay area."
Gu said companies in the Gwangyang Bay zone increasingly view building energy infrastructure as a priority — both to ease the burden of electricity costs and to meet international standards such as RE100. "We will work to create an industrial environment where corporate competitiveness is strengthened on the basis of a stable energy supply, and where future advanced industries can grow," he said.
parkds@heraldcorp.com
