UN CTCN-UNITAR CIFAL Jeju-Korea Institute of Energy Research 2026 Energy Storage System Workshop and Learning Visit
Date : 1-4 September, 2026 Venue : Jeju Island, Republic of Korea
🗃️ 2026 Programme
1. Co-hosting organizations: UN CTCN, UNITAR CIFAL Jeju, KIER 2. List of countries invited - Africa - Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Liberia, Somalia, Tanzania, The Gambia
- Asia and the Pacific - Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Papua New Guinea
- Latin America and the Caribbean - Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis
🔖 Background and Objectives
For the past 12 years, the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) has facilitated the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies for low-carbon and climate- resilient development at the request of developing countries. To implement the mandate of CTCN, the centre has focused on stimulating technology cooperation and enhancing the development and transfer of climate technologies to developing countries. To date, CTCN has supported over 110 countries through climate technology innovation, transfer, and knowledge sharing.
One of the main objectives of the CTCN Partnership and Liaison Office (PALO) launched on 21 July 2022 is to strengthen existing efforts on innovation and collaborative research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) through greater collaboration with various organizations working on climate change issues. Its specific role is to serve as a Centre of Excellence on Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) on climate technologies, engaging key actors in national systems of innovation and RD&D of climate technology including research which are institutes, universities as well as the private sector. Among various work streams of CTCN PALO, collaborative RD&D is a major focus of the centre, particularly through training which is via learning visits, exchange programme, and joint RD&D projects and activities among researchers, research institutes and universities.
The global RD&D demand survey executed in 2024-2025 identified 41 National Designated Entities (i.e., NDEs, technology focal points to the UNFCCC) interested in participating in a learning visit programme on Energy Storage System (ESS). By region, 17 from Asia[1], 15 from Africa[2], 6 from Latin America and the Caribbean[3], and 3 from Oceania[4] indicated their interest in offering knowledge exchange opportunities to national climate experts on ESS. Based on this, the CTCN organized cRD&D Bridge-building workshop on Energy and Environmentally Sound Technologies in conjunction with the 2024-2025 World Climate Expo in Busan. During these workshops, 23 invited NDEs were introduced to the concept of cRD&D, CTCN’s cRD&D strategy, exchanged country status, and most importantly, explored the related emerging technologies that could fit their country’s ESS research and development landscape.
Against this backdrop, the 2026 Energy Storage System Workshop and Learning Visit has been is designed with its partners, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) CIFAL Jeju and Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), as an advanced, on-site capacity development on-site activity focused on strengthening the endogenous capacity, knowledge, and human resources on ESS. Building on the 2024-2025 World Climate Expo experience in Busan, the programme will provide participants with opportunities to contextualize the technological concept and knowledge of ESS and related technologies within enabling and implementation environment of Jeju, Republic of Korea, a region with 15 years of successful expansion of renewable energy expansion and continuous ESS research, development, and demonstration.
The four-day International Workshop and Learning Visit will be held from 1 to 4 September 2026 at the Jeju Global Research Center of the Korea Institute of Energy Research and UNITAR CIFAL Jeju, Republic of Korea, as a flagship event of the 2026 Green and Climate Capacity Development Week for Asia and the Pacific hosted by the institution. The programme will bring together approximately 30 participants from developing countries across the world, ideally one NDE and one researcher from each of the following regions: Small Island Developing States, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Building on the continuous effort to facilitate the dissemination of low- carbon and climate- sound technologies in developing countries, the 2026 programme will provide a global research platform for collaborative RD&D where various types and development stages of ESS technologies will be explored with special consideration of each country’s status of renewable energy dissemination and its enabling and implementation condition. It will support participants in strengthening both the technical, financial, and institutional foundations needed to foster RD&D and the dissemination of ESS and national systems of innovation in their respective countries.
[1] Kazakhstan, Iran, Mongolia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyz Republic, Thailand, Israel, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Syria, State of Palestine, Cambodia, Maldives, Timor-Leste. [2] Malawi, Somalia, Algeria, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Tunisia, Senegal, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, South Africa. [3] Suriname, Paraguay, Panama, Grenada, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis. [4] Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Palau.
🎯 Expected Outcomes
- Enhanced endogenous capacity and knowledge on ESS of NDEs, researchers, and professors of developing countries
- Identified and implemented North-South, South-South and triangular RD&D collaboration activities and projects on ESS with the possible expansion to other low carbon and climate technologies
- Strengthened collaborative RD&D capacities in respective countries
🎖️ Programme Summary
Week 2 of the 2026 Green and Climate Capacity Development Week featured the 2026 Energy Storage System Workshop and Learning Visit, co-hosted by the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), UNITAR CIFAL Jeju, and the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER). The event brought together NDE representatives and nominated experts from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean in Jeju.
The workshop and learning visit provided participants with a practical understanding of how energy storage and grid technologies can support the integration of renewable energy for energy transition, particularly in island and isolated-grid contexts. Drawing on Korea’s energy transition and Jeju’s real-world experience, participants explored microgrid architectures, grid-forming inverter technologies, battery energy storage systems, and emerging solutions such as seawater-based energy storage, alongside practical applications and field demonstrations. The programme also broadened its focus beyond technology itself to the enabling environment for climate technology deployment, including national innovation systems, relevant policy frameworks, international financial and policy support, entrepreneurship-driven climate technology ecosystems, the catalytic role of public finance in mobilizing private investment, and approaches to improving access to private finance.
Following the preceding sessions, a practical and intensive activity was conducted, during which participants developed idea notes for strengthening the renewable energy ecosystems in their respective countries by integrating technical knowledge with policy, institutional, and investment perspectives. These idea notes could serve as preliminary inputs for potential Technical Assistance requests to the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).
📓 Programme Book
※ Click the image to open the programme book in a new window.
|
UN CTCN-UNITAR CIFAL Jeju-Korea Institute of Energy Research
2026 Energy Storage System Workshop and Learning Visit
Date : 1-4 September, 2026
Venue : Jeju Island, Republic of Korea
1. Co-hosting organizations: UN CTCN, UNITAR CIFAL Jeju, KIER
2. List of countries invited
For the past 12 years, the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) has facilitated the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies for low-carbon and climate- resilient development at the request of developing countries. To implement the mandate of CTCN, the centre has focused on stimulating technology cooperation and enhancing the development and transfer of climate technologies to developing countries. To date, CTCN has supported over 110 countries through climate technology innovation, transfer, and knowledge sharing.
One of the main objectives of the CTCN Partnership and Liaison Office (PALO) launched on 21 July 2022 is to strengthen existing efforts on innovation and collaborative research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) through greater collaboration with various organizations working on climate change issues. Its specific role is to serve as a Centre of Excellence on Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) on climate technologies, engaging key actors in national systems of innovation and RD&D of climate technology including research which are institutes, universities as well as the private sector. Among various work streams of CTCN PALO, collaborative RD&D is a major focus of the centre, particularly through training which is via learning visits, exchange programme, and joint RD&D projects and activities among researchers, research institutes and universities.
The global RD&D demand survey executed in 2024-2025 identified 41 National Designated Entities (i.e., NDEs, technology focal points to the UNFCCC) interested in participating in a learning visit programme on Energy Storage System (ESS). By region, 17 from Asia[1], 15 from Africa[2], 6 from Latin America and the Caribbean[3], and 3 from Oceania[4] indicated their interest in offering knowledge exchange opportunities to national climate experts on ESS. Based on this, the CTCN organized cRD&D Bridge-building workshop on Energy and Environmentally Sound Technologies in conjunction with the 2024-2025 World Climate Expo in Busan. During these workshops, 23 invited NDEs were introduced to the concept of cRD&D, CTCN’s cRD&D strategy, exchanged country status, and most importantly, explored the related emerging technologies that could fit their country’s ESS research and development landscape.
Against this backdrop, the 2026 Energy Storage System Workshop and Learning Visit has been is designed with its partners, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) CIFAL Jeju and Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), as an advanced, on-site capacity development on-site activity focused on strengthening the endogenous capacity, knowledge, and human resources on ESS. Building on the 2024-2025 World Climate Expo experience in Busan, the programme will provide participants with opportunities to contextualize the technological concept and knowledge of ESS and related technologies within enabling and implementation environment of Jeju, Republic of Korea, a region with 15 years of successful expansion of renewable energy expansion and continuous ESS research, development, and demonstration.
The four-day International Workshop and Learning Visit will be held from 1 to 4 September 2026 at the Jeju Global Research Center of the Korea Institute of Energy Research and UNITAR CIFAL Jeju, Republic of Korea, as a flagship event of the 2026 Green and Climate Capacity Development Week for Asia and the Pacific hosted by the institution. The programme will bring together approximately 30 participants from developing countries across the world, ideally one NDE and one researcher from each of the following regions: Small Island Developing States, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Building on the continuous effort to facilitate the dissemination of low- carbon and climate- sound technologies in developing countries, the 2026 programme will provide a global research platform for collaborative RD&D where various types and development stages of ESS technologies will be explored with special consideration of each country’s status of renewable energy dissemination and its enabling and implementation condition. It will support participants in strengthening both the technical, financial, and institutional foundations needed to foster RD&D and the dissemination of ESS and national systems of innovation in their respective countries.
[1] Kazakhstan, Iran, Mongolia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyz Republic, Thailand, Israel, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Syria, State of Palestine, Cambodia, Maldives, Timor-Leste.
[2] Malawi, Somalia, Algeria, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Tunisia, Senegal, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, South Africa.
[3] Suriname, Paraguay, Panama, Grenada, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
[4] Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Palau.
Week 2 of the 2026 Green and Climate Capacity Development Week featured the 2026 Energy Storage System Workshop and Learning Visit, co-hosted by the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), UNITAR CIFAL Jeju, and the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER). The event brought together NDE representatives and nominated experts from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean in Jeju.
The workshop and learning visit provided participants with a practical understanding of how energy storage and grid technologies can support the integration of renewable energy for energy transition, particularly in island and isolated-grid contexts. Drawing on Korea’s energy transition and Jeju’s real-world experience, participants explored microgrid architectures, grid-forming inverter technologies, battery energy storage systems, and emerging solutions such as seawater-based energy storage, alongside practical applications and field demonstrations. The programme also broadened its focus beyond technology itself to the enabling environment for climate technology deployment, including national innovation systems, relevant policy frameworks, international financial and policy support, entrepreneurship-driven climate technology ecosystems, the catalytic role of public finance in mobilizing private investment, and approaches to improving access to private finance.
Following the preceding sessions, a practical and intensive activity was conducted, during which participants developed idea notes for strengthening the renewable energy ecosystems in their respective countries by integrating technical knowledge with policy, institutional, and investment perspectives. These idea notes could serve as preliminary inputs for potential Technical Assistance requests to the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).
※ Click the image to open the programme book in a new window.