South Korea's three major battery makers (LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On) will present their future strategies targeting the rapidly growing energy storage system (ESS) market. From operational efficiency through software to stabilizing power grids in the artificial intelligence (AI) era and regional market penetration, each company will offer its own unique solutions.
At the third-day conference of 'Smart Energy Plus (SEP) 2026,' scheduled for the 30th at Hall B of COEX in Seoul Samsung-dong, Kim Hyeon-tae, ESS Product Planning and Jeon Ryak-dam-dang (SVP) at LG Energy Solution; Hyun Jang-seok, Executive Vice President and Team Leader of the Global TPM1 Team at Samsung SDI; and Choi Dae-jin, Vice President and Head of the ESS Business Division at SK On, will take the stage as speakers.
As stable power supply has emerged as a critical challenge due to increased electricity demand from AI data centers and the expansion of renewable energy, the role of ESS is also growing. The technology is expanding its scope beyond simple power storage to become core infrastructure that responds to supply and demand fluctuations and enhances grid flexibility.
On this day, Executive Vice President Kim will explain how the center of gravity in ESS competition is shifting from hardware to software, under the theme 'From Hardware to Intelligent Platform: Software Innovation Leading the ESS Market.' He will also introduce ways to reduce operating costs and enhance battery value through AI-based software such as energy management systems (EMS), market and operation optimization solutions (EMO), and digital O&M. The plan is that operational and management capabilities, beyond hardware cost competitiveness, will become new competitive advantages in the ESS market.
Executive Vice President Hyun will examine changes in power demand structures arising from the transition to the era of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) beyond AI, under the theme 'Two Walls of Power in the AI Era: Solutions Opened by Batteries.' He will present next-generation ESS technologies and new growth opportunities to address rapid load fluctuations in data centers and the increase in renewable energy. He will also specifically outline the role ESS will play in stabilizing power grids and securing flexibility.
Vice President Choi will reveal business plans for key markets such as South Korea, the United States, and Europe under the theme 'SK On's Global ESS Strategy Direction.' He is expected to present SK On's unique competitiveness by specifically detailing regional strategies, from expanding business areas in South Korea to targeting AI data centers and non-China supply chains in the U.S., and leveraging local production hubs in Europe.
The conference will also examine changes in the power equipment market in line with increasing electricity demand. Ok Kyung-seok, Executive Vice President and Head of Overseas Sales for Power Equipment at HD Hyundai Electric, will share market outlooks and response strategies under the theme 'Increased Demand for AI Data Centers and Transformers.' He will discuss transformer demand changes driven by the growth of data centers and renewable energy, as well as the company's plans to expand production capacity and secure global customers.
Solutions for rapid power load changes will also be presented. Kim Seong-yeop, CEO of OCI Power, will address the characteristics of sharp fluctuations in electricity usage during GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) computation processes and explain the roles of renewable energy and ESS. He will also showcase ways to mitigate load volatility using ESS and build a stable power supply system.
in INDUSTRY
