UNIST President Yong-Hoon Lee: "Diesel and Gasoline Cars Will Disappear by 2035"

President Lee Yong-hoon's Blueprint for the Green New Deal
Securing the UNSIT Green Hydrogen Demonstration Research Center for the Green New Deal Roadmap
Ulsan Precision Chemical Companies Transition to Chemical and Semiconductor Material Industries

Lee Yong-hoon, President of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Recently, the government announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality 12 years ahead of schedule, by 2050. President-elect Joe Biden of the United States and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan have also set the same goal. As countries declare war on carbon emissions, Lee Yong-hoon, President of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), stated at the first anniversary meeting on the 20th that "based on UNIST's world-class research competitiveness, we plan to establish the 'Green Hydrogen Demonstration Research Center' and develop a concrete roadmap."

Converting Gray Hydrogen to Green Hydrogen

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)

President Lee emphasized that to realize a carbon-zero era, it is important not only to develop technologies that reduce carbon but also to achieve "green hydrogenization" from the production to the utilization of hydrogen, which is the energy of the future.

He explained, "If we reverse-engineer the government's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, diesel vehicles as well as gasoline vehicles must disappear by 2035. Serious issues will begin in the next 10 to 20 years. Technology is necessary to avoid empty promises."

Currently, hydrogen production inevitably emits carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also required for hydrogen compression and storage. This is why it is called 'gray hydrogen,' and there is a need for technology to convert it into 'green hydrogen.'

He added, "I serve as a member of the Hydrogen Economy Committee under the Prime Minister, and it is expected that the national budget will reach 1,000 trillion won. Even if we develop technology that can reduce just 10% of this, it could save about 10 trillion won in budget."

President Lee aims to attract the Green Hydrogen Demonstration Research Center to Ulsan. He predicted, "It will be a key project for UNIST next year. As the demonstration project takes root, Ulsan will be recognized as the world's top green hydrogen city."

Turning Carbon Zero into an Opportunity to Revitalize the Local Economy

President Lee is also working to revitalize the local economy by leveraging carbon neutrality as an opportunity. He plans to cooperate in securing new growth engines for precision chemical companies in the Ulsan region, which will face survival challenges due to carbon neutrality. He stated, "It is possible to transition to industries producing chemical products or semiconductor materials. UNIST plans to support the development of precise materials by providing precision measurement equipment worth about 70 billion won."

One of his plans is to bring the wave of information and communication technology to the industrial city of Ulsan through the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence, which he has devoted great effort to since his inauguration in November last year and which admitted its first freshmen in September, as well as the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Park to be established next year.

He expressed expectations, saying, "We will transform AI into a smart industry by linking it with Ulsan's main industries such as automobiles, shipbuilding, and petrochemicals. Ulsan's transformation can serve as a model to expand the entire Korean industry into a smart industry."

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