South Korea Unveils Eco-Friendly Green Hydrogen Facility

South Korea has introduced a hydrogen production facility that operates without emitting harmful greenhouse gases. The newly constructed facility, situated at the Seongnam Metropolitan Water Purification Plant, stands as a beacon of environmentally friendly hydrogen generation.

Announced jointly by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Water Resources Corp., the completion of this eco-friendly hydrogen production site is set to be celebrated with a ceremony on September 14. Located in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, this facility leverages electricity from small hydroelectric power plants to generate hydrogen by splitting water molecules.

What sets this initiative apart is its dedication to producing green hydrogen, a term signifying that the hydrogen is manufactured without releasing any greenhouse gases into the atmosphere during the production process.

Small hydropower, a key player in this venture, refers to hydropower generation projects producing 5 megawatts (MW) of electricity or less. In practical terms, this equates to harnessing hydroelectric power on a relatively modest scale.

The Seongnam Metropolitan Water Purification Plant’s green hydrogen production facility has been realized with a total investment of 4.4 billion won. Remarkably, it has the capacity to produce 188 kilograms of hydrogen daily, a quantity sufficient to fuel 40 hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Initially, the hydrogen produced at this facility will be transported to the Galhyeon hydrogen station in Jungwon-gu, Seongnam-si, using trailers. However, the future holds a more efficient approach. A mobile hydrogen station is in the works, slated to be positioned in close proximity to the water purification plant. This station will directly supply hydrogen to individual hydrogen vehicles via pipelines, rendering the need for trailers obsolete.

Hyundai, a major player in the automotive industry, is currently spearheading the development of this mobile hydrogen station, demonstrating the industry’s commitment to sustainable, hydrogen-based transportation.