Hanwha Solutions Recruits Global Expert in Water Electrolysis to Accelerate Green Hydrogen Development

Dr. Jeong Hoon-taek, Senior Researcher at US LANL, Appointed Head of Hydrogen Technology Research Center at Hanwha Solutions

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Hanwha Solutions announced on the 1st that it has recruited Jeong Hoon-taek, a senior researcher at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the United States, as the head of its Hydrogen Technology Research Center.

Newly appointed Center Director Jeong received his master's and doctoral degrees in materials science from KAIST, completed a postdoctoral course at Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, and has conducted research on core materials and overall systems of water electrolysis and fuel cells at LANL for over 14 years. LANL is one of the world's largest research institutes studying national security, aerospace, renewable energy, supercomputers, and more.

Center Director Jeong will oversee the development of next-generation water electrolysis technology using the 'Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM)' method, which Hanwha Solutions aims to commercialize by 2023. This is intended to accelerate the research and development (R&D) efforts that have been underway since 2019 in collaboration with Yonsei University and KAIST in Korea, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the United States.

The water electrolysis method is an electrochemical technology that decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen by passing electricity through it. Currently, the 'Alkaline Electrolysis Cell (AEC)' technology has been commercialized. However, it consumes a lot of power and responds slowly to power fluctuations, limiting its use of electricity generated from renewable energy.

Center Director Jeong plans to develop equipment that compensates for the shortcomings of existing methods using technology accumulated through research projects conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In the field of catalysts and anion exchange membranes that selectively allow anions to pass through?necessary to reduce power consumption during water decomposition?Jeong possesses world-class technology and a global research network. Through this, Hanwha Solutions plans to secure world-class economic feasibility in green hydrogen production by 2023.

Once the water electrolysis technology developed by the Chemical Division achieves economic viability, Hanwha Solutions will secure top-tier global competitiveness across the entire value chain of green hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and charging. The Q CELLS Division produces renewable energy through solar and wind power, while the Advanced Materials Division, together with recently acquired U.S. high-pressure tank company Cimarron, handles hydrogen storage and transportation.

Center Director Jeong said, "At a time when global technological competition for green hydrogen is intensifying, I want to actively utilize my research experience in water electrolysis technology and global networks in related fields to contribute to the development of the national hydrogen energy industry."

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