'Hydrogen Mobility+ Show' Opening Today to Accelerate the Hydrogen Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] The '2021 Hydrogen Mobility+ Show,' the largest hydrogen economy-related exhibition in Korea, held its opening ceremony and commenced the event on the morning of the 8th at KINTEX in Ilsan.

In its second year, the Hydrogen Mobility+ Show featured participation from 154 companies and organizations across 12 countries worldwide in the fields of hydrogen mobility, hydrogen charging infrastructure, and hydrogen energy.

In his opening remarks, Jeong Manki, Chairman of the Hydrogen Mobility+ Show Organizing Committee, stated, "Hydrogen is the most reliable means for a carbon-neutral economy," emphasizing that "to achieve carbon neutrality, it is necessary to expand the use of electricity that replaces fossil fuels."

He added, "In our case, where renewable energy resources are insufficient, if we expand a business model that produces electricity using overseas renewable energy resources, then produces hydrogen with that electricity, and brings it into the country, we can realize a carbon-neutral economy early and surely. This business model is already being introduced and will be showcased at this exhibition."

He continued, "Korea is a country where the entire hydrogen value chain is rapidly developing," emphasizing, "Global perception of hydrogen is rapidly changing, and especially hydrogen vehicles are gaining greater attention recently due to their approximately 5-minute charging time, 1,000 km driving range per charge, and added air purification function."

Chairman Jeong asserted, "Despite several changes in government since 2005, we have spoken with one voice regarding hydrogen, and companies have strengthened cooperation to realize a hydrogen society. Thanks to this, we are building the entire hydrogen value chain?from production to storage, transportation, and utilization?faster than anywhere else in the world."

He pointed out, "The hydrogen industry still faces numerous technical challenges to overcome," noting, "In particular, Korea is lacking compared to overseas companies in technologies such as water electrolysis for producing green hydrogen without carbon emissions, and hydrogen storage and transportation technologies like liquefaction and liquid forms necessary for long-distance, large-volume transport, despite efforts from many research institutions." He added, "Research and development (R&D) efforts to overcome these challenges are urgently needed."

Finally, Chairman Jeong stated, "Considering that the means to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and a carbon reduction of over 35% compared to existing targets by 2030 are limited due to our country's economic structure, the private sector needs to strive to establish a hydrogen industry ecosystem and technological innovation, which are reliable means to realize carbon neutrality." He urged, "The government must not spare multifaceted support such as tax, finance, technology, and manpower for these private sector efforts."

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