First Export of Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Power Generation... 15.3 Billion KRW Worth to China

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Hydrogen fuel cells for power generation produced domestically are being exported for the first time.

On the 27th, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, a 'Power Generation Fuel Cell Export Commemorative Shipment Ceremony' was held at the Doosan Fuel Cell headquarters located in the Iksan Industrial Complex, Jeonbuk.

The power generation fuel cells being exported this time consist of 4 units totaling 1.8 megawatts (MW), worth 13 million USD (approximately 15.3 billion KRW). The exported units will be installed as distributed power sources in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China, supplying electricity and heating/cooling heat to 7 apartment buildings (400 households) and 1 commercial building.

Since announcing the Hydrogen Economy Activation Roadmap in January 2019, the government has provided policy support such as R&D funding and the introduction of a dedicated gas tariff system for fuel cells to foster the fuel cell industrial ecosystem, a representative field of hydrogen utilization. As a result, the world's largest market for power generation fuel cells has been established domestically. As of June this year, Korea's installed capacity of power generation fuel cells is 662 MW, surpassing the United States (527 MW) and Japan (352 MW), ranking first. The fuel cell industrial ecosystem, with a localization rate of over 98% (based on purchases from primary partner companies), has also been established, growing into an industry that creates more than 3,000 high-quality jobs.

The government plans to accelerate the introduction of the Clean Hydrogen Power Purchase Supply System (CHPS) and the Clean Hydrogen Certification System as soon as the amendment to the Hydrogen Act, currently under discussion in the National Assembly, is finalized to maximize the advantages of fuel cells and achieve hydrogen supply targets. Through this, the goal is to promote the production and overseas development of clean hydrogen, encourage early utilization in fuel cells, foster zero-carbon power sources in the carbon-neutral era, and complement the intermittency and other limitations of renewable energy. The 'Basic Plan for Hydrogen Economy Implementation' containing these details will be established and announced within this year.

At the shipment ceremony, Park Ki-young, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said in his congratulatory speech, "We will support significantly improving the power generation efficiency of fuel cells and reducing the unit cost of main equipment to about one-third of the current level by 2040 through the development of materials and components, enabling us to lead the global market."

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