[Book Sip] Transition to a Decarbonized Economy: '2050 Hydrogen Energy'

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As greenhouse gases and air pollutants are emitted on a large scale, the Earth's self-purification capacity is experiencing fluctuations. In response, governments and companies worldwide have announced 'carbon neutrality' to reduce fossil fuel use and are actively pursuing the production of 'hydrogen,' an eco-friendly energy source. But why hydrogen? Because it is the most abundant element in the universe, produces water when burned, and is a pollution-free energy source that emits no harmful substances. This book carefully examines what future hydrogen energy will bring, what agendas governments and companies should focus on to secure that future, and what tasks experts in various fields need to prioritize.

Recently, with the global establishment of carbon neutrality goals related to climate change, hydrogen has gained even more attention. As renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, which emit carbon dioxide when burned, are spotlighted as alternatives to current fossil fuels, hydrogen has emerged as a means to complement their intermittency. Solar and wind power are affected by weather, making it difficult to maintain consistent power output. Therefore, when there is surplus electricity from solar power during midday or from wind power during windy periods, this electricity is used to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen (Power to Gas, P2G), which is then utilized in automobiles, power generation, steelmaking, and other sectors?a method currently being developed worldwide. Hydrogen is the simplest element, with each hydrogen atom consisting of one proton and one neutron. Moreover, stars like the sun are mostly composed of hydrogen, making it the most abundant element in the universe.

The hydrogen economy can be defined as an economic and industrial structure that uses hydrogen as one of the main energy sources. The goal of the hydrogen economy is to utilize hydrogen as a primary energy source to break away from the existing fossil fuel-based energy supply structure, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, fundamentally transforming the energy industry and market. Furthermore, by establishing a hydrogen supply chain, it aims to discover new growth opportunities and promote economic growth. The hydrogen economy is not a new concept that emerged in response to the climate crisis; it has been envisioned since the 1970s as an alternative to the carbon economy. South Korea also established a 'Master Plan for Implementing an Eco-friendly Hydrogen Economy' in 2005, and the roles and schedules for each institution at that time are shown in the following figure. As such, our government had already prepared plans for enacting special laws, securing budgets, and industrializing to promote the hydrogen economy back in 2005.

2050 Hydrogen Energy | Baek Moon-seok et al. | Raonbook | 20,000 KRW

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