International Hydrogen Conference Held: "Hydrogen Industry, Ecosystem Expansion Makes International Cooperation Inevitable"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] The Hydrogen Mobility+ Show Organizing Committee announced on the morning of the 10th that it held the 2021 International Hydrogen Conference at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, under the theme of "Strengthening Cooperation for the Activation of the Hydrogen Economy with Leading Hydrogen Industry Countries in the World."

The conference was held in two sessions: the morning session focused on ▲overseas hydrogen industry roadmaps and ▲hydrogen mobility industry development plans following the opening remarks and keynote speeches, and the afternoon session covered ▲international green hydrogen market and policy trends and ▲measures to activate green hydrogen.

Moon Seung-wook, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, said in his congratulatory speech, "Korea achieved the world's number one position in the supply of hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells for two consecutive years from 2019 to 2020, and plans to complete a factory capable of producing 100,000 next-generation hydrogen fuel cells annually by 2023, expanding production capacity more than fourfold compared to the current scale." He emphasized, "For Korea to leap forward as a leading hydrogen economy country, it is necessary to secure core technologies in production, storage, and transportation."

In the keynote speech, Yoo Byung-ok, Head of POSCO Industrial Gas and Hydrogen Business Division, explained, "POSCO will transform its core businesses such as steel and power generation into eco-friendly innovative businesses by utilizing hydrogen," adding, "We plan to establish green hydrogen production bases using renewable energy sources in major countries, either to import them domestically or sell them overseas."

Do Kyung-hwan, President of Hydrogen Energy Network, stated, "The hydrogen industry is a market with infinite potential, expected to create at least 30 million jobs and reach about 3,000 trillion won by 2050," and added, "Hydrogen Energy Network will build a total of 100 hydrogen charging stations by 2023 to expand hydrogen demand and contribute to the formation of the initial industry."

The afternoon session mainly discussed green hydrogen. Choi Yong-ho, Managing Director at Deloitte, said about hydrogen energy, "It needs to be recognized not only as an alternative eco-friendly energy but also as the next-generation economic paradigm," and emphasized, "Before the global hydrogen economy value chain is completed, it is important for Korean companies to secure a preemptive market position."

Regarding Korea’s green hydrogen development direction, Kim Chang-hee, Ph.D., from the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, named the technology that can be directly linked with renewable energy as "second-generation water electrolysis" and presented overseas cases, advising, "It is essential to strengthen the core foundation of the hydrogen industry and establish a governance system among government ministries."

Jeong Man-ki, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, said, "Carbon neutrality cannot be achieved by the efforts of one or two countries alone," and added, "The hydrogen industry value chain is geographically unlikely to be confined to one country, and since the industrial scope is broad?from hydrogen production, storage, and transportation to utilization?it is difficult for a single company or country to monopolize the technology, making strategic alliances between companies and international cooperation inevitable."

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