What Progress Has Been Made in 'Hydrogen R&D' After 248.9 Billion Won Invested Over 3 Years?

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] The government held a forum to assess the current status of hydrogen technology in South Korea. Despite investing 248.9 billion KRW in research and development over the past three years to leap forward as a leading hydrogen technology nation, commercialization results have been insufficient, and the influx of foreign technologies is accelerating, prompting the need for countermeasures.

On the 15th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the "1st Hydrogen Economy and Korea's Hydrogen Technology Symposium." The event was organized by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, which is carrying out the Ministry’s hydrogen technology cooperation network project. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, attendance was minimized and the event was broadcast live online.

The event centered on presentations and discussions by related experts. First, there were presentations on the government’s hydrogen economy policy direction, technology development trends, and global hydrogen market and industry outlook. Additionally, solutions to address key issues in each sector such as hydrogen production, storage, and infrastructure were discussed.

In the hydrogen production sector, methods to economically produce green hydrogen were proposed, while in the hydrogen storage sector, the use of ammonia as a liquid hydrogen carrier for large-scale hydrogen storage and transportation was suggested.

Technologies for hydrogen refueling stations and safety management, as well as the status and future expansion plans of hydrogen pilot city projects underway in Samcheok, Ulsan, Ansan, and Jeonju-Wanju, were also mentioned.

Yong Hong-taek, Director of Research and Development Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "Technological competitiveness and independence in core technologies will determine the success of leading countries in technology." He added, "The Ministry of Science and ICT will actively support the solidification of basic technologies in the hydrogen field and the creation of future growth engines through systematic research and development and continuous technological innovation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.