The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Marie Antonia von Schönburg) announced the renewal of the Korean-German Energy Partnership through a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) signed by Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), and Hohyeon Lee, Second Vice Minister of Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE), in Seoul on October 30. The signing took place during Parliamentary State Secretary Rouenhoff’s visit to Seoul to attend the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2026).
The renewed agreement marks a new phase in bilateral energy cooperation, expanding the partnership’s scope to address emerging challenges in power grids, artificial intelligence (AI), data centers in the energy sector and clean energy technologies. It builds on the original agreement signed in December 2019 and reflects the evolving energy priorities of both countries following the reorganization of their respective ministries in 2025.
As technologically advanced industrial economies with high energy import dependence, Korea and Germany face shared challenges in accelerating the energy transition while maintaining energy security and industrial competitiveness. Rising electricity demand driven by AI, data centers and advanced manufacturing has further underscored the importance of reliable, affordable and clean energy supplies.
Under the renewed declaration, the two countries will strengthen policy and technical cooperation in renewable energy expansion and system integration, energy efficiency, clean hydrogen, power system planning and operation, grid flexibility, smart grids, energy storage systems (ESS) and digitalization in the energy sector.
The expanded framework also includes reliable and efficient clean energy supply for data centers and AI infrastructure, innovative energy technologies and resilient supply chains as key areas of cooperation.
These priorities are expected to create new opportunities for Korean and German businesses, particularly in grid modernization, energy storage, digital energy solutions and clean energy technologies, while encouraging joint project development, supply chain collaboration and cross-border investment.
The Korean-German Energy Partnership builds on bilateral energy dialogue initiated in 2016 and was formally established in December 2019, when the two governments signed the original Joint Declaration of Intent in Berlin. A roadmap signed in May 2020 subsequently outlined the partnership's structure and direction, establishing a framework for high-level policy dialogue and technical cooperation.
Since 2021, KGCCI has served as the official secretariat of the Korean-German Energy Partnership (KGEP) in Korea, working closely with German policy consultancy adelphi to facilitate cooperation among policymakers, businesses and energy experts from both countries.
In this capacity, KGCCI supports high-level committee meetings, technical working groups and bilateral exchanges, while organizing initiatives including the annual Korean-German Energy Day, the Korean-German Business Forum on Renewable Energy, expert workshops and delegation visits. These platforms help connect government-level policy dialogue with practical industry cooperation and opportunities for business collaboration.
Jihee Jeong, Chair of the Secretariat of Korean-German Energy Partnership in Korea and Deputy Director at KGCCI, remarked: "The renewal of the Joint Declaration of Intent reflects the achievements of seven years of energy cooperation between Korea and Germany and reaffirms both governments' commitment to strengthening the partnership. KGCCI will continue to bring policymakers, businesses and experts together to advance practical cooperation in renewable energy, energy efficiency, grid modernization and digitalization."
Looking ahead, the two ministries will continue to advance the renewed agreement through reciprocal high-level delegation visits, expert workshops, business forums and the annual Korean-German Energy Day. As the partnership's official secretariat in Korea, KGCCI will continue to support these efforts, helping translate bilateral energy policy dialogue into practical cooperation between Korean and German stakeholders.
