The South Korean government recently announced necessary changes in energy policy. The Yoon Seok-yeol government presented several energy policy directions with the goal of responding to climate change and strengthening energy security. The foremost changes in the federal government’s energy policy will be largely divided into five categories: ① expansion of nuclear energy, ② improvement of energy demand efficiency and establishment of market structure. ③ Promoting renewable energy and hydrogen industries ④ It’s compressed into export industrialization of latest energy industries, ⑤ diversification of import lines, and resource development. AI Times will look into these government policies. [편집자 주]
Green hydrogen production based on renewable energy
The federal government plans to strengthen the renewable energy industry ecosystem, including solar and wind power. It plans to introduce a solar carbon verification system and commercialize next-generation technologies early to reinforce industrial competitiveness. Within the hydrogen sector, it plans to create a hydrogen fund to expand investment in modern corporations and strengthen tax credits for hydrogen research and development (R&D) and facility investment.
The Korea Institute of Energy Research, which was chosen because the essential research institute for the ‘National Hydrogen Key Research Lab’ launched by the Ministry of Science and ICT on July 17, goals to integrate and focus research on hydrogen technology development, which was previously pursued as individual tasks, based on the vision of ‘achieving the Ministry of Science and ICT’s 2030 100% domestic production rate of hydrogen technology.’
Last yr, the research team led by Park Jeong-ho, a senior researcher on the Energy AI and Computational Science Lab on the Korea Institute of Energy Research, announced that they’d developed a model that predicts the optimal size of a green hydrogen production facility using only data. Using the research model, it’s now possible to secure the economic feasibility of green hydrogen production.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasted that the worldwide hydrogen production market size would grow from $129.6 billion in 2020 to $201.4 billion in 2025. Particularly, it predicts that production will expand significantly, centered on green hydrogen based on renewable energy, with the scale of water electrolysis facilities expected to extend by a median of 86% per yr until 2030.
Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by electrolyzing water using renewable energy sources similar to solar and wind power. The economic feasibility of the produced green hydrogen will depend on the fee of putting in the electrolyzer and the worth of electricity utilized in the electrolyzer facility.
Accordingly, the research team developed a multi-objective optimization methodology that can assist in decision-making related to investment and operation of solar-based green hydrogen production systems. Multi-objective optimization is a strategy used when attempting to concurrently improve various necessary performances in a system, similar to economic efficiency and production volume.
Advances in electrolysis technology
Many domestic and international studies are taking note of the event of electrolysis technology. Particularly, corporations similar to Siemens Energy and ITM Power are increasing the technological maturity through the event of large-scale PEM electrolysis devices and demonstration projects. For instance, Siemens’ Silyzer 300 model has developed a module that will be integrated as much as 17.5 MW, and ITM Power plans to mass-produce a 100 MW device.
International examples include Siemens Energy’s Silyzer 300 model, which has developed modules that will be integrated as much as 17.5 MW, and Energiepark Mainz is demonstrating a 6.0 MW H2Future program by linking 12 modules. ITM Power is working with Shell and Linde to develop a 100 MW large-scale PEM electrolyzer, with plans to provide 5.0 GW annually by 2024.
In a domestic case, Cummins is working with Air Liquide to develop a 2.5MW single stack and is currently conducting a P2G demonstration project by linking a 5.0MW integrated system utilizing this with hydroelectric power generation within the Quebec region of Canada. This is predicted to scale back greenhouse gases by 27 ktons annually.
Growth potential and development challenges of the hydrogen industry
The KIET Industrial Research Institute highly evaluates the expansion potential of the hydrogen industry and, for this purpose, suggests energetic government policy support and measures to strengthen industrial competitiveness. Key tasks include infrastructure expansion and technology development within the hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and charging stages.
domestic and international examples of hydrogen production technology development, corporations similar to Siemens Energy, ITM Power, and Cummins are increasing their technological maturity through the event of large-scale PEM electrolysis devices and P2G demonstration projects. For instance, Siemens’ Silyzer 300 model has developed a module that will be integrated as much as 17.5 MW, and ITM Power plans to mass-produce a 100 MW device.
Professor Kim Chang-hee, who led the event of a ’10kW alkaline water electrolysis stack’ that may produce 2Nm³ (normal cubic meters; 1Nm³ is 1m³ at 0℃ and 1 atm) of green hydrogen per hour with as much as 84% efficiency by electrolyzing water while on the Korea Institute of Energy Research.
Professor Kim Chang-hee (Korea Institute of Energy Technology) emphasized that “hydrogen is a crucial energy source that may replace fossil fuels,” and said, “Solar and wind power are limited to electricity generation, but hydrogen will be utilized in various industrial processes and transportation in gas form in addition to power generation, so it will possibly replace fossil fuels entirely.”
He emphasized the economic feasibility of hydrogen as a storage medium for surplus renewable energy power, saying that “hydrogen is more economical than batteries when long-term storage is required,” and explained that “hydrogen can solve the issue that batteries cannot handle, especially in interseasonal storage.”
An economic evaluation of an actual hydrogen production system showed that the fee of manufacturing hydrogen using renewable energy can vary greatly depending on the efficiency and operating rate of the electrolyzer, and that the unit price will be significantly reduced in an optimized system.
Nonetheless, it is important to expand the infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and charging. To this end, cooperation between the federal government and the private sector, support for technology development, and large-scale demonstration projects are essential. As well as, government policy support plays a crucial role in accelerating the expansion of the hydrogen industry. For instance, this might include subsidies for the event of hydrogen production technology and incentives for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Hydrogen will be utilized in a wide range of fields, including household fuel cells, power generation fuel cells, and fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) for transportation. Particularly, expansion of charging infrastructure is required to advertise the introduction of FCEVs within the transportation sector.
Policy proposals and support
Environmental groups and research institutes, including Climate Solutions, are proposing various policies to expand renewable energy and foster the hydrogen industry through the 2023 Renewable Energy Policy Proposal. Key contents include expanding the proportion of renewable energy, supporting technology development, and constructing infrastructure.
It’s essential to set a goal for increasing the share of renewable energy and establish a particular plan to attain it. For instance, it’s essential to set a goal for a way much the share of renewable energy will increase by a certain yr.
As well as, we must expand R&D investment for renewable energy technology development to advertise technological innovation. This will be applied to numerous fields similar to solar energy, wind power, and hydrogen production technology. As well as, we must strengthen the facility grid to make sure a stable supply of renewable energy and introduce smart grid technology to strengthen infrastructure construction to enable efficient energy management.
Moreover, the necessity to scale back initial investment costs and promote private investment is being emphasized through subsidies and tax advantages for renewable energy projects.
As President Yoon Seok-yeol announced at a livelihood discussion held in Jeollabuk-do on July 18 that he would actively support the creation of a hydrogen-specialized national industrial complex and the hydrogen industry in Wanju-gun, the hydrogen industry in Wanju-gun gained further momentum.
On the time, President Yoon devoted numerous time to Wanju-gun’s hydrogen industry and expressed his will to foster the hydrogen industry. The hydrogen industry in Wanju-gun that President Yoon promised to support is essentially composed of support for the transition to future vehicles, similar to the Wanju Hydrogen Business Vehicle Reliability Verification Center, and the rapid establishment of a hydrogen-specialized national industrial complex.
President Yoon announced plans to speculate 24 billion won in Wanju County by 2026 to reinforce the parts industry’s technology development capabilities and strengthen corporate support through prototype production. The Hydrogen Business Vehicle Reliability Verification Center is a facility equipped with the testing and evaluation equipment essential for the event of hydrogen business vehicles, including the biggest chassis powertrain test equipment in Korea.
Wanju County is promoting the establishment of a fuel cell infrastructure after use and a hydrogen vehicle waste fuel cell resource circulation test certification center together with the hydrogen business vehicle reliability verification center mentioned by President Yoon. The hydrogen product inspection support center can be scheduled to be accomplished this yr and is predicted to start full-scale operation.
Reporter Yang Jun-seok kailas21@aitimes.com
