A conference on electric energy kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday to showcase cutting-edge electric power technologies of local and foreign companies, the industry ministry said.

Elecs Korea 2025, hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will run for three days through Friday at the COEX convention centre, according to the ministry, reports Yonhap news agency.

Some 260 companies from here and abroad are taking part in the event to show their advanced heavy electrical equipment, smart grid solutions and power supply technologies, as well as renewable energy technologies.

This year's event will also feature the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to electric power technologies to boost their efficiency.

"We have set the yearly export target at an all-time high of US$16.2 billion for this year to help the heavy electrical equipment industry, which is booming thanks to an increase in AI data centres and efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, lead South Korea's exports," Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said in an opening speech.

Last year, the country's exports of heavy electrical equipment hit a record high of $15.6 billion.

Ahn said the government will support the electric power industry by providing investment in research and development projects and tax benefits.

Meanwhile, South Korea will work to export its power grid packages that encompass power plants and energy storage systems, the industry ministry said, amid the rising global demand for electricity sparked by the development of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI).

The power grid packages, named K-Grid, include a wide range of electricity-related products, such as cables, transformers, circuit breakers and energy storage systems.

The ministry said the alliance aims to break into the American market where demand for advanced power grids and electricity is high from the fast-evolving AI and data centre sectors.