KEPCO Engineering & Construction, a cornerstone of Korea's power sector, is adopting SK AX's AI platforms to manage projects and build agents. This rapidly shifts how national energy infrastructure will operate, driving significant AI innovation in power and energy for 2026. The collaboration enhances efficiency and oversight across critical operations.
Korea's energy sector has historically relied on established operational paradigms. This new partnership, however, aggressively integrates AI into its most critical processes and future developments, challenging previous operational methods.
Companies in traditional infrastructure sectors will increasingly need to partner with AI specialists to remain competitive and efficient. Failure to adapt risks falling behind in a rapidly digitizing landscape.
What the Partnership Entails
KEPCO E&C will adopt SK AX's AI platforms, specifically AXgenticWire AiPMO for project management and AXgenticWire NPO Agent Builder, to modernize operational and project management capabilities, according to Aju Press and Chosunbiz. The formal agreement was signed at SK U-Tower in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Aju Press reported.
Korea's national energy sector is making a strategic pivot towards an AI-first operational model, fundamentally reshaping how critical infrastructure is managed. The move suggests a future where human oversight in project management is increasingly augmented, if not partially replaced, by autonomous AI systems.
Innovating Offshore Wind Operations
The partnership extends to jointly developing an offshore wind operations and maintenance platform. This system will integrate power output forecasting and predictive maintenance capabilities, according to Aju Press.
This application of AI to offshore wind addresses complex, high-growth renewable energy challenges, aiming for enhanced efficiency and reliability in future energy sources. A shift from merely optimizing existing infrastructure to building AI into the core of new, scalable renewable energy projects is signaled.
SK AX's Market Position
SK AX reported a total contract value of $1.04 billion (₩1.531 trillion) and remaining backlogs of $601.3 million (₩885.3 billion) as of the third quarter, according to globalnewstop. Its operating margin reached 7.45 percent, a 2.2 percentage point increase from the previous year.
This robust financial performance and growing backlog confirm SK AX's capacity for large-scale AI integration projects, establishing it as a stable partner. The consistent growth suggests a market demand for specialized AI solutions that larger, more diversified tech companies may not fully address.
The Vision for AI Augmentation
The partnership aims to build an 'AI augmentation' system to deliver tangible results across processes and governance within the power and energy industry, Aju Press reported. AI's role extends beyond operational efficiency into strategic oversight and regulatory compliance, creating a comprehensive AI-enhanced ecosystem.
While promising high efficiency, the deep integration of AI into critical power infrastructure, particularly through 'AI augmentation' systems across 'governance,' introduces new, complex cybersecurity and reliability risks that the industry is only beginning to understand.
The deep integration of AI into national energy infrastructure, as seen with KEPCO E&C and SK AX, likely foreshadows a global trend where traditional sectors must rapidly adopt advanced AI to maintain competitiveness and ensure future operational resilience.
