The transition to a hydrogen economy is expected to accelerate through collaboration between the government and private companies. In particular, as corporate investment of 43 trillion won is promoted by 2030, the development of all areas of the hydrogen economy and especially green hydrogen production are expected to expand. On March 2, the government held the 3rd Hydrogen Economy Committee at SK Incheon Petrochemical, presided over by Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun.
The Hydrogen Economy Committee is a Korea Hydrogen Economy Control Tower composed of the best private experts in each field, including 8 related ministries (Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Equipment, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, etc.) with the Prime Minister as its chairman. .
On February 5th, as the’Hydrogen Economy Promotion and Hydrogen Safety Management Act’ (hereinafter referred to as the Hydrogen Act) was in full force, it was officially launched as a government-wide public-private joint council that oversees major policies to become a leading country in the hydrogen economy.
At the committee on that day, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun said, “The achievements of the hydrogen economy are gradually becoming visible, such as achieving the world’s No. 1 hydrogen car sales, the cumulative distribution of domestic hydrogen cars 11,000 units, and the world’s No. 1 supply of fuel cells for power generation for two consecutive years “With the full implementation of the Hydrogen Act this year, the people, companies, and the government will join forces with the mind of Dongju Mutual Aid to create a balanced hydrogen industry ecosystem throughout the production, distribution, and utilization of hydrogen, and aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. “I said.
“The reason that companies representing Korea’s economy in various fields such as energy, steel, chemicals, and automobiles have prepared a hydrogen economy investment plan worth 43 trillion won by 2030 is the inflection point that hydrogen, which has stayed in the laboratory, goes to the mainstream of the market economy. “The government also established a collective support system that encompasses production, transportation, and utilization of liquefied hydrogen in order to supply cheap hydrogen, which is the basis of the hydrogen economy, and promptly promoted institutional improvement such as liquefied hydrogen safety standards. I will try to make sure it is realized.
This year, the government is planning to accelerate the transition to a hydrogen economy by supporting a budget of △Hydrogen Mobility △Hydrogen Production and Distribution Infrastructure △Core Technology Development △Hydrogen Demonstration City, a 40% increase from the previous year.
In addition, we will seek ways to build a self-sustaining hydrogen ecosystem with the region, such as applying for a preliminary feasibility study to create specialized hydrogen industry integration complexes for each field such as bio-green hydrogen, mobility, and fuel cells in regions such as Incheon, Saemangeum, and Ulsan. It is a policy.
In order to accelerate the spread of the hydrogen economy, the current 73 hydrogen charging stations will be increased to 180 or more by the end of the year, and will be expanded to more than 50 in the metropolitan area where the people are experiencing inconvenience.
Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun attended the’Incheon Hydrogen Industry Base Construction MOU Signing Ceremony’ in connection with the committee held that day, and inspected SK’s planned liquefied hydrogen plant sites and petrochemical plants.
Incheon City, Incheon City’s Seo-gu Office, SK E&S, and Hyundai Motors signed an MOU to build the foundation of Incheon’s hydrogen industry to actively cooperate so that Incheon can be reborn as a bio-by-product hydrogen production cluster, and SK is using 30,000 tons of hydrogen per year, the largest in the world. By promoting the establishment of production and shipment facilities for liquefied hydrogen that can be produced, safe and inexpensive hydrogen will be supplied to 200,000 hydrogen cars in the metropolitan area, including Seoul and Incheon, from 2023.
The 3rd Hydrogen Economy Committee △(Agenda No.1) Private Investment Plan for Hydrogen Economy and Government Support Plan △(Agenda No.2) Business Plan for Hydrogen Economy Agency in 2021 △(Agenda No.3) Seoul Hydrogen Experience Museum Construction Plan, etc.3 Discussed the dog agenda.
Private investment worth 43 trillion won to vitalize the hydrogen economy
△SK (18 trillion won) △Hyundai Motors (11 trillion won) △POSCO (10 trillion won) △Hanwha (1.3 trillion won) △Hyosung (1.2 trillion won) It will invest 43.4 trillion won in all areas of the hydrogen economy, including hydrogen production, distribution, storage, and utilization by 2010. The government also actively supports private investment so that it can be promoted smoothly.
Private companies invest heavily in the clean hydrogen (green hydrogen + blue hydrogen) field to develop large-scale green hydrogen production technology and build large-scale green hydrogen production bases at home and abroad.
The government supports the introduction of a clean hydrogen certification system, green hydrogen R&D and demonstration of various sizes and methods, and preemptively builds a clean hydrogen introduction infrastructure so that clean hydrogen can be commercialized early.
In addition, private companies are intensively promoting investments to build large-scale liquid hydrogen plants and expand the supply of liquid hydrogen filling stations.
Accordingly, the government plans to establish safety regulations related to liquefied hydrogen within this year, and establish a system to collectively support the entire liquefied hydrogen value chain in accordance with the timing of large-scale by-product hydrogen shipments, centered on the Ministry of Industry.
Along with this, it was decided to consider ways to provide incentives such as carbon credits to reduce greenhouse gases and supply cheap hydrogen by converting by-product hydrogen, which has been used as fuel in industrial processes, to transportation.
In addition to hydrogen cars, private companies plan to commercialize various hydrogen mobility such as buses, forklifts, and ships, and expand the supply of fuel cells using clean hydrogen.
To support this, the government quickly enacted the Hydrogen Power Plant Mandatory System (HPS), introduced subsidies tailored to the time of mobility launch, expanded public procurement, and secured hydrogen bus conversion technology.
In addition, the government supports the formation of the’Korean Hydrogen Council’, which will comprehensively promote regulatory and institutional improvement recommendations, technology demand surveys, and discovery of cooperative projects to revitalize private investment in the hydrogen economy.
By installing a hydrogen innovation task at the hydrogen industry promotion agency (Hydrogen Convergence Alliance), the entire process of hydrogen economy investment is closely supported, and hydrogen industry ecosystem is established by intensive support for fostering hydrogen professionals and specialized companies and developing technology for key materials and parts for hydrogen products. I plan to go out.
Large-scale investments in hydrogen economy by private companies and preemptive support from the government have contributed to securing’hydrogen supply’ technologies such as green hydrogen production beyond the’hydrogen utilization’ field that currently possesses the world’s best competitiveness, thus contributing to the securing of’hydrogen supply’ technologies such as green hydrogen production. It is expected to be a stepping stone for balanced development and preoccupying the global hydrogen economy market.
Promotion of hydrogen conversion through promotion, distribution, and safety agencies
In July of last year, three hydrogen economy dedicated agencies, including the Hydrogen Convergence Alliance Promotion Team, the Gas Corporation, and the Gas Safety Corporation, designated by the 1st Hydrogen Economy Committee, started their business this year in earnest to become a hydrogen economy. Accelerate the transition.
The Hydrogen Convergence Alliance Promotion Team operates’visiting consulting’ to support technology transfer, product certification, prototype production, market development, etc. to foster hydrogen specialized companies, and to quickly support hydrogen specialized companies’ field difficulties and technology development. I plan to do it.
In addition, we will build a hydrogen industry statistics system to raise the public’s interest, and actively promote public sensational programs such as the hydrogen olympiad and quiz contests to build a social consensus on the hydrogen economy.
KOGAS will induce hydrogen price reduction through joint purchase of hydrogen and improve the operating conditions of charging stations by purchasing hydrogen tube trailers and leasing them to charging stations at low prices. In addition, for the convenience of hydrogen users, it plans to build a real-time hydrogen charging station operation information provision system and start service from the second half of this year.
In preparation for the implementation of the’Hydrogen Act’ in the field of hydrogen safety in February 2022, the Korea Gas Stability Corporation has prepared detailed safety standards for hydrogen products and liquefied hydrogen safety standards in line with the supply of liquefied hydrogen production and charging stations.
In addition, the introduction of a precision safety diagnosis system for hydrogen charging stations and the establishment of a real-time safety monitoring system will strengthen safety management to create a safe environment in which the public can use the charging stations with confidence.
Raising the understanding and interest of the hydrogen economy
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is promoting the construction of a hydrogen experience museum near the Sangam hydrogen charging station in Mapo-gu to promote and educate the eco-friendliness and safety of hydrogen.
The Hydrogen Experience Museum enhances people’s understanding of hydrogen by exhibiting hydrogen products, experiencing new hydrogen technologies using virtual and augmented reality, and education related to hydrogen. In addition, it plans to establish a cooperation system with the Office of Education, companies, and organizations, and provide various hydrogen experience programs in connection with hydrogen-related facilities such as nearby hydrogen charging stations and fuel cell power plants.