International Standardization
The Korean government will launch an international standardization project with major conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, SK, and Hyundai Motor to establish a system for Carbon Free 100 (CF100). CF100, which requires all electricity to be supplied by carbon-free energy sources including nuclear power plants, is considered more realistic than RE100, which requires 100 percent of electricity to be generated through renewable means.
According to related ministries and industries on May 9, the government will launch the Carbon Free Energy (CFE) Policy Forum on May 17. The forum will be chaired by Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang. The forum will be attended by major Korean electric power consumers such as Samsung Electronics, SK, Hyundai Motor, and POSCO. Energy suppliers such as GS Energy, SK E&S, and Hanwha Energy will also participate in the forum. The forum will serve as a venue where both supply and demand companies discuss CF100.
CF100 is a global carbon-free movement that uses only carbon-free energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the concept of 24/7 CFE. It is an international campaign jointly promoted by U.N. Energy and the U.N.’s Sustainable Energy Organization (SE4ALL), and global IT companies such as Google and Microsoft are participating.
The Korean government believes that it is necessary to shift its carbon neutrality strategy from RE100 to CF100, in which electric power from nuclear power plants and hydrogen fuel cells is classified as carbon-free energy, due to the small amount of renewable energy sources in Korea. The forum has been planned to establish the concept of CF100 with private companies before making policies and to set up a place to study overseas cases.
This will also mark the first time that major Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK, and Hyundai Motor, which signed up for RE100, make an official appearance at a CF100 event. It is understood that RE100 member companies also agree on a need for CF100 as they acknowledge limitations in the spread of renewable energy in Korea.
The Korean government will consider piloting CF100 in Korea based on the opinions of forum participants. It plans to lay the foundation for Korea’s active participation in the process of establishing and supplementing the rules of CF100 and create a consensus for a transition to CF100 in Korean companies’ industrial sites around the world.