The Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Industry announced its aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The plan’s centerpiece was the switch to hydrogen as the primary energy source.
By 2050, hydrogen energy will account for 33% of Korea’s economy and industry, with a major portion coming from outside the nation.
At the moment, South Korea’s energy industry is reliant on oil supplies, which account for about half of the country’s energy balance. It is presently Korea’s primary source of energy. Hydrogen should be one of these sources by 2050. The administration estimates that the country will get 27.9 million tons of hydrogen per year by the deadline. A package of measures is being considered for this, including incentives for hydrogen production and the development of related infrastructure, such as filling stations for all modes of transportation.
It’s worth noting that every hydrogen created by the deadline must be “blue” or “green.” The method will totally remove “gray” hydrogen, which is created from natural gas without collecting processed products (greenhouse gases). By 2030, a storage capacity of 900 million tons or more will be built to generate blue hydrogen with CO2 collection and storage. By 2050, the storage facility will enable the production of up to 2 million tons of “blue” hydrogen per year.
As of 2020, the country does not create “pure” hydrogen; however, this will change in the future. South Korea can’t and won’t rely only on its own hydrogen manufacturing capabilities. According to the authorities, an agreement on the delivery of hydrogen from overseas via more than 40 routes would be reached.
Aside from the energy sector, the steel, chemical, and other energy-intensive sectors will be boosted by encouraging them to employ clean energy sources in their technical processes. The government promises to build a nationwide network of at least 2,000 hydrogen filling stations, with at least one in each area and county.
