On the 13th, the Energy Department of Gunsan National University invited Choi Seong-rok, the head of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) research team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States, to give a special lecture on the topic of "The Role of AI in Future Power Operation and Digital Twin in Intermittent Energy." Representatives from KEPCO, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Saemangeum Development Agency, Korea Water Resources Corporation, Hyundai Corporation, as well as professors, and graduate students attended the lecture.

Choi Seong-rok proposed the need for an operational platform that combines AI-based prediction and optimization with digital twin to manage the variability of intermittent power sources such as wind and solar power in relation to the RE100 initiative at the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex. He emphasized the real-time optimization of power generation and demand prediction, operation of Energy Storage Systems (ESS), and grid congestion relief, stating that pre-verification of scenarios in a digital environment can reduce risks and costs. He also highlighted the importance of fostering interdisciplinary talents encompassing energy and AI, as well as establishing a collaborative model connecting researchers, industry, and policy institutions.

NREL, a national research institution under the U.S. Department of Energy, has recorded an economic contribution of approximately 27 trillion won as of 2023 and continues research collaboration with over a thousand government agencies, industries, and universities worldwide.

Choi Beom-yong, a distinguished professor at Gunsan National University, stated, "If the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex is designated as the first RE100 industrial complex in Korea, it will be advantageous for achieving carbon neutrality and enhancing industrial competitiveness, as well as attracting global companies' AI data centers and advanced industries." Yang Chung-mo, a professor at Jeonbuk National University (former head of the Saemangeum Development Agency), expressed, "By proactively responding to the mandatory implementation of RE100 and reducing transmission network construction costs through attracting companies, the energy transition will accelerate, and the effect of balanced regional development in Jeonbuk will also increase."

Gunsan National University plans to expand practical demonstrations and collaborative research between industry and academia based on AI and digital twin for power operation following this special lecture, aiming to solidify a technological and policy roadmap for the Saemangeum RE100 initiative.