Blue Hydrogen in Changwon, Green Hydrogen in Jeju... Doosan Heavy Industries Accelerates Hydrogen Business

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction is accelerating the diversification of its hydrogen business. The company is securing technology for the production of clean hydrogen such as blue hydrogen and green hydrogen, while also strengthening its hydrogen gas turbine development and hydrogen-related equipment business.

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction produces blue hydrogen in Changwon and green hydrogen in Jeju. At the hydrogen liquefaction plant under construction at the Changwon factory, scheduled for completion in 2022, blue hydrogen will be produced and utilized. Blue hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced through a process that captures and stores carbon generated during hydrogen extraction to minimize carbon emissions. Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction plans to produce blue hydrogen by applying high-efficiency carbon dioxide capture·utilization·and storage (CCUS) technology.

Green hydrogen production using wind power is also progressing smoothly in Jeju Island. In addition, the company is considering clean hydrogen production using SMR (Small Modular Reactor), the next-generation nuclear power plant. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, as well as nuclear power, are attracting attention domestically and internationally as power supply sources for clean hydrogen production because they do not emit carbon during electricity generation.

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, which succeeded in developing the world’s fifth large gas turbine for power generation, is expanding its business area toward hydrogen gas turbine development. Hydrogen gas turbines use either pure hydrogen or a mixed fuel of hydrogen and natural gas. To this end, since May last year, the company has been developing a 5MW-class hydrogen premixed combustor for hydrogen gas turbines using proprietary technology, and in parallel, it is developing a 300MW-class hydrogen mixed-fuel combustor for hydrogen gas turbines in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials.

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction is expanding its hydrogen equipment business through its subsidiary Doosan Mecatec. In 2019, Doosan Mecatec invested in the U.S. company Licarbon, which possesses hydrogen production technology utilizing greenhouse gases generated from landfills, power plants, and petrochemical plants, to secure technology. To accelerate the business, Doosan Mecatec established the HPE (Hydrogen Process Equipment) division earlier this year, dedicated to carbon resource utilization and hydrogen business.

Furthermore, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction has completed the development of hydrogen storage containers for hydrogen refueling and is preparing for full-scale commercialization ahead of the expansion of hydrogen usage. The government, through its hydrogen economy roadmap, has announced a goal to secure 8GW of hydrogen power generation capacity by 2040, projecting hydrogen demand to increase to approximately 1.94 million tons by 2030 and about 5.26 million tons by 2040. Among this, gray hydrogen, classified as extracted hydrogen, is expected to decrease to 50% by 2030 and 30% by 2040, while demand for clean hydrogen is expected to continuously increase to about 900,000 tons by 2030 and approximately 3.6 million tons by 2040. A Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction official stated, "In line with the expansion of hydrogen demand, we will secure a leading position in the domestic hydrogen market through various hydrogen production methods and equipment manufacturing and supply that integrate with our existing business capabilities."

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