SK Innovation's Vice Chairman & CEO, Kim Jun, along with key executives from SK Innovation subsidiaries, recently convened with global talents to discuss the company's accomplishments in its "Carbon to Green" strategy and explore avenues for expanding its Green Portfolio.
The event, called the "SK Innovation Global Forum," took place in San Jose, California, on June 24.
During his opening speech at the forum, Vice Chairman & CEO Kim said, "By implementing our Carbon to Green strategy, we will surpass our goal of securing 70% green assets by 2025, which we initially announced at the 2021 Story Day, ahead of schedule."
He also emphasized the company's commitment to expanding its Green Portfolios, encompassing zero-carbon and low-carbon energy, as well as resource circulation, with the ultimate aim of achieving All Time Net Zero by 2062.
SK Innovation's green assets have grown from 33% in 2020 to 61% in 2023. The company aims to further increase this proportion to 70% by 2024, a year earlier than originally planned.
The 2023 Global Forum served as a platform for SK Innovation to enhance its global network and delve into the latest technologies and market trends that align with the company's future aspirations.
Over the course of the two-day forum, which took place on June 24 and 25, approximately 80 global talents from academic and industry backgrounds related to future energy, as well as more than 30 key executives from SK Innovation subsidiaries, participated.
The first day of the forum involved discussion sessions revolving around six key themes central to SK Innovation's Carbon to Green strategies: New Anchor (hydrogen, ammonia, etc.), Recycle, Green Transition, Secondary Battery, Green Materials, and Geo-Tech Net Zero Biz.
To execute the Carbon to Green strategy, SK Innovation is actively promoting "Green Anchoring," focusing on the battery and separator business, and "Green Transformation," which involves transforming existing carbon-emitting businesses into eco-friendly operations. Of particular interest is the company's pursuit of "New Green Anchoring," which entails expanding into new business sectors such as ammonia and waste resource recovery.
During the recycling session, participants expressed significant interest in the "Ulsan ARC (Advanced Recycle Cluster)," the world's first integrated plastic recycling complex planned by SK Geo Centric.
Discussions within this session covered global companies' current efforts in resource circulation and explored the establishment of a value chain to expand applications for recycled plastic products.
In the clean energy and green transition sessions, participants exchanged insights on the latest technology trends associated with New Green Anchoring, such as ammonia, waste resource recovery, small modular reactors (SMRs), and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
They also addressed various topics, including feasibility, growth strategies based on regional characteristics, and investment directions.
On the second day, the forum attendees shared major takeaways from the previous day's discussions, which were then followed by panel discussions featuring representatives from each session.
"Moving forward, SK Innovation will evolve into a 'Green Energy & Materials Company,' consistently generating momentum that propels the world through our focus on green businesses," said CEO Kim. "Building on our six-decade-long expertise in providing carbon-centered energy, we will introduce a new paradigm in the future energy market."
