The Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) will build a specialized center for recycling spent hydrogen vehicle fuel cells in Wanju County.
On the 26th, KTR President Hyun-cheol Kim announced an agreement with Jeonbuk Special Autonomous Province, Wanju County, and Woosuk University to establish this specialized test certification center.
The agreement was signed by Hyun-cheol Kim (KTR), Gwan-young Kim (Jeonbuk Governor), Hee-tae Yoo (Wanju County Mayor), and No-jun Park (Woosuk University President). The participating institutions aim to establish a resource-circulating economic system for remanufacturing, reusing, and recycling spent hydrogen vehicle fuel cells. This initiative is expected to boost the local economy and create new jobs.
The project was selected in July after being submitted in June as part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s industrial innovation infrastructure initiative. It will run for four years and six months, concluding in December 2028. The center will be located in the Technovalley 2 Industrial Complex in Bong-dong, Wanju County.
The facility, covering an area of 18,978 square meters, will feature four buildings. It will require an investment of approximately 25 billion KRW, including 10 billion KRW from the national government. Jeonbuk and Wanju County will contribute 4.5 billion KRW each, while 6 billion KRW will come from private investment.
As the lead agency, KTR will collaborate with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Woosuk University, Korea Renewable Energy Association, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation. This network aims to establish a hydrogen fuel cell resource circulation ecosystem.
