Doosan Group Establishes Specialized R&D Company for Hydrogen Fuel Cells to Strengthen Development Capabilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Doosan Group is strengthening its development capabilities by establishing a specialized company for hydrogen fuel cell research and development (R&D).

Doosan Group announced on the 30th that it has established Doosan H2 Innovation, a specialized company responsible for hydrogen fuel cell R&D. Through the establishment of the new company, Doosan Group plans to maximize synergy in the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology within the group and reorganize the hydrogen fuel cell R&D system, which is currently dispersed across several affiliates such as Doosan Corporation and Doosan Fuel Cell.

The newly established company will play a central role in the development of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). Doosan H2 Innovation will lead the development of Korean-style SOFC by utilizing the core technology of Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC) from Doosan Fuel Cell America (DFCA) and will establish a close collaborative system with the R&D divisions of Doosan Fuel Cell, DFCA, and others. A Doosan Group official stated, "By concentrating R&D capabilities, we expect rapid and efficient decision-making regarding investments and other needs in the early stages of technology and product development."

Hydrogen fuel cell by Doosan Fuel Cell currently on the market / Photo by Doosan Group

According to global consulting firm Deloitte, the global hydrogen economy market is projected to reach approximately 3,000 trillion KRW by 2050, with the hydrogen utilization market, Doosan’s core target, expected to reach 1,104 trillion KRW. The Korean-style SOFC being developed by Doosan Group offers higher power efficiency compared to existing fuel cell types and can operate at a lower temperature of 620℃ compared to the conventional SOFC technology that operates at high temperatures above 750℃. Its expected lifespan is also anticipated to improve.

Doosan Fuel Cell, which holds SOFC production, system sales, and business rights, is focusing on technology development for mass production of SOFC systems and the core component 'cell stack,' as well as diversifying its business. The SOFC system can be applied not only to power plants but also to various fields such as fuel cells for ship propulsion. Furthermore, once the Korean-style SOFC system development is completed, Doosan Fuel Cell is expected to play a central role across the entire value chain, from manufacturing and technology improvement to additional business model development and sales activities. To this end, Doosan Fuel Cell plans to establish a new production line capable of producing SOFC starting in 2024.

A Doosan Group official emphasized, "To strengthen the group’s competitiveness in the hydrogen business, we recently reorganized the hydrogen-related technology development capabilities that were dispersed across each company, and one of these efforts is the establishment of an R&D corporation for early development of SOFC technology. We will nurture hydrogen as a core growth engine of the group through rapid and efficient technology development."

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